Protector of Lapis
by Shadowflame013
Summary: A young, orphaned boy stumbles upon a mirror and frees a gem from it. Upon seeing the physical form, the boy then realizes there's more to what the world could offer.
1. Chapter 1

Prologue: The fateful discovery

Hello Everyone. Just an idea that has come to me. I'll think of a new story in the process as well. This one's more of a random occasion that has been in my thoughts. I do not own Steven Universe.

It was a cloudy, but sunny day. A young boy was seen walking across on a beach shore. He was 6 years old, wearing a blue T-shirt with matching shorts. He was wearing sandals, but took them off and walked bare foot on the sand. His hair was a soft brown color and was straight. His physique was slim but had traces of baby fat. His eyes were a soft, blue color. The young boy was lonely. He was looking around the area, aloof of the environment.

"Hah… I wonder what I should do… I don't know anyone here." The boy said to himself.

He continued walking on the shore, lost in thought. The ocean water waves were moving close to his bare feet. The feeling of the water touching him was comforting.

"I always wondered what it would be like to see the ocean… It feels nice and it's beautiful." The boy said, watching the ocean in the horizon.

While walking, the boy suddenly tripped from an object. He fell on the sand and noticed the object. It looked like a mirror with an ornate design. The center of it had an octagonal shape.

"I wonder who left this mirror behind… I don't think anyone would just leave a mirror like this here…" The boy said.

Although he was reluctant, the boy took the mirror out of the sand. He wiped his hand on it to clean it off. The boy then noticed the mirror was glowing faintly.

"Huh? The mirror is glowing?" He questioned to himself.

(Play Steven Universe OST – Mirror Gem Extended)

The boy felt something warm from the glowing mirror. It felt as though there was someone wrapping around his body in a comforting hug. The strange part was, the boy was crying tears. It's as though he could feel the sadness coming from the warmth as though it was his sadness, yet it is not.

"Why is this feeling so warm yet it tears my heart in two?" The boy questioned.

Unable to understand why he experienced the sudden sadness, the boy held the mirror close to him. The warm feeling that is surrounding him felt like arms from an adult embracing a child with a warm hug.

"Is this feeling from the mirror? Is there someone in it that's making me feel so sad?" The boy questioned.

The boy looked at his reflection, noticing nothing from the mirror. Although he couldn't see it, the mirror was reacting to his presence. While the boy was distracted, an entity in the mirror began to realize something.

'This boy… He can feel my emotions as though he saw what I went through…' A female voice thought.

The boy held the mirror closely as the sadness encompassed his heart. He couldn't explain why he was still crying.

'My heart feels so heavy and broken… The mirror is doing this to me?' The boy thought.

He then turned the mirror around and noticed a blue, cracked gem. The gem was in a tear drop shape. The boy noticed the gem was feeling warm.

"This tear looking stone is warm… Is it making this feeling to me?" The boy asked to himself.

The mirror began to glow till it was loose from the boy's grip. It then turned to show his reflection. It showed him crying.

(Mirror gem OST ends here)

"Who are you?" The boy asked.

The mirror began to change till it showed the boy's face.

-Who are you?- The reflection asked.

The boy was surprised from what he saw. Although shy, he decided to talk with the mirror.

"My name is Azure… What about you?" The boy said.

The mirror began to shift and showed Azure's face.

-My name is Azure. What about you?- The mirror replayed.

Azure was surprised on what the mirror did. Curiosity becoming apparent, the boy began to talk with the mirror. It was replaying the conversation he was having with the mirror.

Nearby, a feminine figure noticed the boy holding the mirror. She had a slender, thin build, ivory skin, sky-blue eyes, a pointed nose and thin lips. Her hairstyle was a pixie cut in front while it is pointy from behind. The color was a peach-pink. Her choice of clothing are an aqua-blue tunic-leotard with a small gold star on the center of her chest and a lighter satin sash ribbon around her upper waist. She was wearing leggings that are amber-colored. Pink socks were apparent with pale blue slip-on ballet flats. She was watching Azure's interaction of the mirror.

"That boy seems to be talking with that mirror… I can feel something from that mirror… It feels like magic but it seems to be gem powered… I may have to talk with that boy to find out…" The woman said.

The woman walked her way to Azure, who was holding the mirror.

"Young man, how did you find that mirror?" The woman asked calmly.

Azure was tense after noticing the woman approaching him. He didn't answer the woman's question and moved away.

"It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you." The woman reassured.

Azure didn't get the message and quickly ran off. The woman watched him leave in a hurry. This made her a bit worried for him.

'He's probably shy. Maybe I should leave him be.' The woman thought.

Azure arrived at an orphanage but no one was there. He felt lonely, but was able to calm down. The mirror he held made him remember that he was not alone.

"I haven't known your name yet. What is your name?" He asked to the mirror.

The mirror began to show an image. Azure saw what appeared to be a gemstone that looks like the one embedded from behind the mirror, except it was in a different shape.

"A blue stone? Wait, I think I know that name…" Azure said.

Azure recalled learning the name of some gems from the orphanage. He began to piece the name in his mind till it became clear to him.

"Lapis lazuli… I think that's what it is called." Azure said.

The mirror began to glow and showed an image of Azure smiling. He realized what it meant.

"So your name is Lapis?" Azure asked.

The mirror made the same image of Azure smiling in response. This made him smile back in response.

"It's a nice name…" He said.

In response, the gem began to glow brightly. Azure felt the glow, noting how warm it felt. It didn't had the same feeling of sadness. It felt as though someone was expressing joy in him.

"You won't be lonely, Lapis. I'm here with you. I wish there's a way I can free you from the mirror though…" Azure said in a calm, somber tone.

(Play Steven Universe OST – Let me out)

The mirror began to glow and showed an abstract image of Azure pulling the gem out from the mirror. Azure was surprised on what showed.

"Is it possible for me to pull out of the mirror?" He asked.

The mirror showed Azure's face nodding. This provided the need to make him pull the gem out from the mirror.

"I'll try to pull you out, Lapis… I'm not strong though." Azure said with some doubt.

He held on to the gem embedded on the mirror and began to pull it out. Unknown to the boy, the same woman from the beach was watching him pull the gemstone out.

'What is he doing…? It looks like he's trying to pull something out…' The woman thought.

She noticed several tendrils of water surrounding him. The water was forming the same octagon pattern from the mirror.

'Those tendrils…! Are they coming from that mirror!? That boy is in danger if he pulls out whatever is embedded in the mirror!' The woman thought in fear.

"Come on… I have to try harder to pull you out…" Azure said, grunting to pull the gemstone out.

By then, the gemstone suddenly got loose from the mirror. The mirror eventually shattered, but the gem was relatively intact. Azure held the gemstone calmly till it began glow brightly and levitated in the air.

"Wha…?" Azure said, unable to comprehend what was happening.

The tear dropped shaped stone began to glow brightly. It glowed in a bright blue light. The light began to form a female figure. Azure noticed the figure falling on the floor and ran to her to see if she was hurt. He then noticed something strange. The girl appeared to be in her teen years and had grayish-blue skin. Her choice of clothing is a backless, blue halter crop top with an upward-facing navy triangle that ties into a blue sash ribbon on the back of her shoulders, and a flowing, blue skirt, which is knee-length with a downward-facing navy triangle. She had no shoes on, leaving her barefoot. Her hair was dark blue, chin length in a pixie style, but the bangs were longer. Azure noticed her eyes appeared glassy and had no irises and pupils.

"Thank you." She said.

The girl was about to stand up, but fell. Azure caught her before she hit the floor.

"Are you okay?" He asked in concern.

"You were able to talk to me and help me. Your name is Azure, right?" The girl said with a smile.

Azure then made a faint gasp upon realizing what the girl said.

"That means you're Lapis?" Azure said.

"Yes. I'm Lapis Lazuli. Are you a Crystal Gem?" Lapis asked.

Azure tilted his head in response from the question. He didn't understand what Lapis meant.

"Um, I don't know what you mean by that…" He said with honesty.

Lapis was surprised. She then realized that she was talking with a human.

"Oh, I guess you don't know about it. Don't mind what I said." Lapis said.

Azure left his head tilting in response. This made Lapis giggle from the confusion his face showed.

"You're really young though… How old are you, Azure?" Lapis asked.

"I'm 6 years old." He answered.

Before both could continue their conversation, the same woman that Azure encountered at the beach suddenly made her appearance in the orphanage. She was holding a pearlescent spear. Immediately, Azure tensed up and walked in front of Lapis.

"Stay away from her, young man! She isn't someone whom you should be with!" The woman warned.

Azure was more worried about Lapis than of himself. He refused to move away from Lapis.

"You… You're a Crystal Gem?" Lapis asked to the woman.

"Yes, I am a Crystal Gem… I need to make certain that you're not a threat to anyone. Who are you?" The woman asked.

"I am Lapis Lazuli. I was trapped in that mirror that was created from the Gem Homeworld." Lapis said, clearly showing some disgust to the woman.

"My name is Pearl, and we Crystal Gems make sure the Earth and its people are not endangered from any Gem related activities, whether they're corrupted or not." Pearl said.

Azure took notice that Lapis looked weak. She was staggering while trying not to fall on the floor. He quickly held her left hand to hold her.

"Please don't hurt her… She's my only friend." He said in a somber tone.

Pearl looked at Azure, noticing how he was showing determination to protect Lapis from harm. Somewhat moved from the boy's motivation to protect Lapis, she lowered her spear.

"What is the problem, Pearl?" A woman's voice called out.

Pearl, Lapis, and Azure turned and noticed a beautiful woman coming towards them. She had very long, and curly pink hair styled in thick, tube-like ringlets. She also had defined lips with a pale pink color, bright-peach skin, and a taller and heavier build. Her eyes were a black color. Her clothing was a white and pink dress that had multiple layers which resembled the petals of a rose, and had a star-shaped cutout in the stomach area. From the stomach area, a pink gemstone was shown.

"Forgive me, Rose. I assumed there was a threat and came rushing here. This young human was protecting another gem, who appears to be cracked." Pearl said.

"Oh dear… This young man was protecting this fellow gem who was cracked…" The woman known as Rose said.

She then walked up to Azure who was nervous of seeing the woman coming up to him.

"Young man, you really do care for Lapis, do you not?" Rose asked.

"Yes, I care for Lapis. She is my friend and I don't want her to feel sad." Azure responded.

Rose giggled from seeing how protective Azure was. Lapis noted how protective he was to her. This made her smile in response.

"Don't worry, young man. I'll be healing her cracked gem so she can get herself better. My name is Rose Quartz." Rose said.

(Play Steven Universe OST – Lapis Tower)

"Rose quartz… Please help Lapis by healing her. She looks like she's in pain." Azure said in a begging tone.

"Don't worry. I did said I'm planning to heal her. You won't need to be worried about it." Rose said.

Rose walked to Lapis and looked at the cracked gemstone at her back. She then cried a few tears which landed on the gem. Lapis shivered briefly, feeling something moist touching her back till she realized that Rose was shedding tears. By then, her gem glowed brightly. The crack began to disappear, causing Lapis to change. The color tone of her skin changed to a deep, sky blue color. Her clothing turned lighter than before. The surprising part was her eyes. Instead of being glassy, they became a navy blue color.

"Thank you, Rose." Lapis said with a smile.

She then walked up to Azure and hugged him close. He could feel the pure warmth and happiness from her. It made him smile in response.

"Thank you for healing her, Rose. I'm glad she feels better." Azure said.

"You're welcome. I like seeing people caring for one another, despite being different." Rose said.

Azure smiled in response, feeling grateful of Rose for healing Lapis.

That's all from here.

Note 1: The OC, Azure, is an orphan and has no way of knowing who his parents were.

Note 2: Despite being human, Azure's physiology will start to change. The light emitted from Lapis is foreshadows the change.

Any questions, send a review.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1: Discussions and planning. A sudden change.

I do not own anything from Steven Universe.

Azure and Lapis were with Rose and Pearl at their house. The two female figures had a serious expression on their faces, staring intently at Lapis.

"I know you feel nervous as to why we have such expressions. However, I need to know whether you were sent here from Homeworld or not. " Rose said.

Lapis was pressured on what to do. Azure held her right hand which calmed her down. She then turned her head and noticed how worried he was for her.

"I'm explaining this truthfully… I was not sent here by Homeworld… I came here to see the Earth. It was during a war that happened… One of the Crystal Gem soldiers poofed me. All I recalled after was being questioned by the Homeworld gems. I didn't understand why they were asking me questions in relating to the war. I had no answers because I never wanted to be in a battle. Next thing I remember was being dropped from a Homeworld Gem and cracked… The people were leaving the Earth in panic. All I know is, I was kicked into the ocean and laid in the mirror, sleeping for thousands of years till Azure found me. They left me here for thousands of years when I was trapped in that mirror." Lapis explained.

Rose and Pearl were surprised to realize that Lapis was not involved in the war. More questions cane up to them as they slowly understood Lapis's nervous behavior.

"One question… Who was the one that poofed you?" Rose asked.

Lapis recalled the person and shivered with fright. Azure noticed she was hyperventilating and held on to her shoulders to try and calm her down. She slowly regained control and looked at Rose with a hidden, but frightful expression.

"It was a gem who had periwinkle skin… Her hair was like a rainbow, appearing like dreadlocks… The gem was on her chest, looking like how her hair was and appeared to be a rectangle. She poofed me without knowing about me." Lapis said, closing her eyes in response.

Rose and Pearl immediately knew who the person Lapis was referring to. They were both concerned after seeing how scared she was.

"It can't be… Was she always like that, Rose?" Pearl asked.

######

Rose didn't say anything as she went outside stared at the sky in imminent silence. This scared Pearl but she was brave enough to see a hurtful expression from Rose's face. This made her concerned for Rose.

"Rose… What happened to Bismuth? Was this the reason why she disappeared?" Pearl asked.

"She and I had different beliefs… I never want to shatter any gem unless it's the last choice possible… Bismuth wanted to shatter any Homeworld Gem, regardless if they were involved with the rebellion or not." Rose revealed,

Pearl was shocked upon hearing the truth.

"Oh dear… I never knew…" Pearl said with shock.

By then, another figure appeared. The figure was female in appearance, looking like a pre-teen girl. She had an almost stout build. A unique part of her appearance is her skin, which is a bright lilac. Her hair was a pale lavender color. The length of it was long enough to reach to her ankles. Her hair was loose, almost appearing wild. Her eyes were a dark indigo color. She has plump lips, a small, upturned nose, and a large bang which obscures her left eye. Her outfit consists of an off-white, oversized, off-shoulder tank top which has a jagged hem, black leggings with star-shaped cutouts on the knees and mauve ankle boots. A purple gemstone with a truncated hexagonal dipyramid shape was shown on her chest.

"Amethyst, aren't you excited to see some new folks?" Rose said in a motherly tone.

Azure looked at the newest person with curiosity. Before he could ask who she was, Amethyst suddenly walked up to him with surprised interest.

"Wow… Is he a human, Rose?" Amethyst asked.

"Yes. He is a human, but he was able to find a cracked gem who was a prisoner from Homeworld. He set her free from the prison." Rose said.

This made Amethyst smile in response. She was walking on all fours, looking at Azure.

"Um, I'm not into any trouble, am I?" Azure asked reluctantly.

"No, you're not. You saved a fellow gem and that makes you a member to us." Amethyst said.

"A member?" Azure questioned.

Rose knew how confused Azure was. She decided to speak on Amethyst's behalf.

"Well, Amethyst wants you to join with us: the Crystal Gems. We protect the Earth from our Homeworld, who want to destroy the Earth for their nefarious schemes." Rose explained.

Azure gasped softly, but it was loud enough for the others to hear him. Lapis felt guilty, knowing what the Gem Homeworld intends to do.

"The Earth is not just my home… It's where I met Lapis and every one of you… Everyone living here has a home… They shouldn't destroy the Earth for their selfish wishes." Azure said.

Azure had a serious expression on his face. This surprised Lapis, seeing him with such an expression.

"If I can join with you all, I can learn how to be strong. I want to be with the Crystal Gems so I can protect my home and Lapis from them." Azure said.

(Play Steven Universe OST – Mirror Gem)

Rose smiled in response. Most notably, Lapis was concerned from his answer. She couldn't help but hug Azure from behind.

"I'm glad that you understand, Azure. I have a request to make though…" Rose said, garnering his attention.

"What request are you asking for?" Azure asked.

Rose placed both of her hands to where her stomach was. There was a noticeable bump from where she placed her hands at.

"My son will be growing up and becoming something amazing. I want you to help guide him as a fellow Crystal Gem warrior. Amethyst, Pearl, and another member will be able to keep an eye out for him as he grows. I want you to act as a family member to him and help train him to become a Crystal Gem." Rose explained.

"You mean, like a brother?" Azure said.

"Yes, like how I consider my fellow members as sisters." Rose said.

(Mirror Gem OST ends here)

Azure was lost in amazement. He didn't realize that his body started to glow brightly, surprising everyone.

"Azure! You're glowing!" Amethyst said.

Azure then realized he was glowing in bright light. He then felt something hard like a rock growing on his chest. It made him stagger to the ground as he felt pain.

"Azure! What's wrong!?" Lapis frantically exclaimed.

Azure couldn't answer as the pain prevented him from talking. Rose, Amethyst and Lapis were all concerned for him as he continued to toss and turn from the pain. Sweat permeated on his body as he felt the increasing pain all over his body.

"What's happening to him?" Amethyst asked with shock.

"He's…changing. Lapis, what happened when he found you in that mirror?" Rose questioned.

"He was able to feel my emotions from the mirror when my gemstone shined on him… The light emitted from me must have caused something to him… That means I'm the one who's changing Azure!" Lapis realized.

Azure felt the pain increase in his body. It was so agonizing, he couldn't scream. By then, his body stopped glowing. The pain disappeared, but he felt completely exhausted.

"Azure, are you okay?" Lapis asked with concern.

He was breathing heavily, but was able to respond to Lapis, albeit faintly. He attempted to stand but was barely able to.

"I'm ok… My body was burning, but now I feel better…" He said weakly.

Azure was about to walk to Lapis, but he fainted from exhaustion. Lapis caught him before he fell to the floor.

"Is he alright?" Lapis asked in near panic with Rose.

"He's alright. He is exhausted after what happened to him." Rose reassured.

By then, another being came by. Rose, Pearl, and Amethyst turned upon sensing the person.

"I felt an energy signature from a Gem here. Rose, I hope it isn't serious…" The person said.

Lapis turned and saw the person. Azure was briefly awake but was still exhausted. He had enough stamina to see the person in front of him. She was as tall as Rose Quartz, but also looked muscular. She had cerise colored skin, and dark-indigo hair styled into a cube-shaped afro. Her eyes were covered by a visor. She was wearing a body suit with a unique color scheme. The right half is covered in a vivid blue-violet stocking, and the left is covered in a deep orchid/eggplant stocking. She had an amaranth-colored star with a soft-pink outline on her top. Her shoulder pads are also oval-like instead of cube-like, and both are a dark orchid/eggplant color as well as her arms and gloves.

"Everything is okay, Garnet. We have two new members of the Crystal Gems." Rose said with a smile.

The person known as Garnet walked up to Lapis and Azure. She could feel Lapis feeling concerned for the human. Upon seeing Azure, he passed out. Garnet looked at him with curiosity till a vision came up to her. She saw him fighting alongside her with Lapis near him. This made her smile in response.

"Rose has indeed picked them as future members for the Crystal Gems. They will be our increasing hope to protect the Earth." Garnet said to Pearl and Amethyst.

Pearl looked at Azure with a content smile. Hearing from Garnet's and Rose's decisions made her relieved to know beforehand. Amethyst was jumping in joy. She quickly ran up to Lapis and held her in a hug.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Lapis asked with surprised confusion.

Rose giggled as she stopped Amethyst from being too hyper. Garnet and Pearl also laughed as well.

"Amethyst is like a ball of energy. She tends to be expressive of her thoughts. I won't explain as to why she acts like this, but it helps calm everyone down." Rose said.

"I see… However, Azure currently lives in an orphanage and has no parents. Can we ask you to provide us a home so we can rest with ease?" Lapis requested.

"Lapis, my dear… You're already with us. You can make yourself at home in our base here." Rose said in a motherly tone.

Lapis smiled with a tearful expression. She held up Azure and walked up to her. Rose and Garnet placed a reassuring hand on her shoulders to calm her down. They then beckon her to step on a pedestal. Amethyst and Pearl followed along. Before she could understand, the pedestal teleported everyone to a different location.

######

The group teleported to what appears to be a cave complex. Azure was still unconscious but he could feel Lapis holding him close. Rose came up to them as she saw the interaction between them.

"You two care for one another deeply… I'm with a human as well, one whom I love dearly." Rose said.

Lapis gasped upon hearing what Rose said. She then smiled, realizing that her bond with Azure may end up the same way.

"The human that you love… He knows of what you are?" Lapis asked.

"Yes, he knows about me and the others. Despite that, he still loves me for who I am. I like that about him and I love him as well." Rose said.

Night has fallen as the Gems began to fall asleep. Lapis held Azure closely as both slept. Both didn't shift from their sleep as they slept in quiet bliss.

######

The next day, Azure was awake. He began to stretch himself from the bed. Upon stretching, he noticed Lapis sleeping near him. With a smile, he began to nudge her gently to wake her up.

"Good morning, Lapis." He said.

Lapis yawned from sleep. She then looked at Azure near her and smiled in response. She held on to him in warm hug.

"Good morning, Azure." Lapis said somnolently.

Azure chuckled quietly when she responded. He still felt some discomfort on his chest from yesterday's experience.

"Are you feeling okay, Azure?" Lapis asked.

"I'm feeling okay. Just some pain in my chest." Azure reassured.

Lapis was worried for him but seeing Azure appearing healthy made her calm down, albeit slightly. Before they could say anything, Pearl came up to them.

"Since you two have become Crystal Gems, you both need to learn how to fight. Lapis, do you know of your abilities?" Pearl asked.

"Yes, I can manipulate water as though it has been second nature to me. Why do you ask?" Lapis questioned.

"Rose requested that I teach you two how to fight. It'll take some time for you to understand, but we all want to protect the Earth just as much as Azure does. I'm sure you feel the same way." Pearl answered.

"I don't have many fond memories of the Earth while I was imprisoned. However, meeting Azure may have helped me overcome those memories." Lapis said.

By then, Garnet also came by. Before she could speak, Azure fell to the ground in pain. He was grunting from the sensation growing in his chest.

"What's wrong with me…? It hurts so much…" Azure grunted.

Garnet and Pearl went up to him to try and find out what was wrong with him. They both noticed what appeared to be a protrusion. It was glowing with a light blue light. The Gems watching were shocked of what they saw.

"It can't be! This never happened to a human before…" Pearl said.

"I never heard or seen this kind of phenomenon… I'm sure Lapis doesn't know this either." Garnet said in shock.

Rose Quartz came by and noticed Azure on the floor, clutching his chest. She quickly noticed how it was glowing brightly.

"Oh my…! This is completely new that is happening!" Rose said in shock.

By then, a heart shaped protrusion began to form on Azure's chest. Everyone noticed the mark was unique, but it also raised several questions.

'Is he becoming one of us? A Gem?' Pearl thought.

'That's impossible… A human becoming a Gem? This is different to how we form' Garnet thought.

'A young boy becoming a Gem… Could it be that Lapis's feelings were the cause of Azure's transformation?' Rose thought.

Lapis was guilty for what was happening to Azure. It made her feel terrible.

'I never wanted him to become a Gem, even if it was meant to be with him.' Lapis thought with guilt.

Amethyst couldn't say or think of anything due to the sudden occurrence. She remained quiet, unable to think of the situation.

######

Azure's pain subsided but he was exhausted. Lapis noticed how terrible he looked. His skin started to look pale.

"Azure, I'm so sorry about this… I didn't mean for you to experience this." Lapis said tearfully.

"What's wrong, Lapis?" Azure asked.

"Your body is starting to change… When I was trapped in the mirror you found, the light from my gemstone touched in your body. When you felt my sadness, the light began to change you, making you become like me, a Gem." Lapis said.

"I'm becoming a Gem?" Azure asked in surprise.

"Yes… You're becoming like me, and I never wanted this to happen to you. The transformation has been so painful to you." Lapis said tearfully.

"Lapis… I can't blame you on this… It wasn't your fault. I know it hurts a lot, but now I don't care about it. I want to be with you, even if I'm no longer human." Azure said sincerely.

Lapis couldn't help but shed tears for him. The other Gems were moved by how Azure was. They couldn't help but shed a few tears in response. The young boy was selfless, despite the pain he endured. He was willing to forsake being human.

"He may not realize it, but my teachings are just like how he is… He's willing to go so far to protect those he cares for. Since we helped Lapis, he can trust us enough to risk himself into becoming a Gem." Rose said in a motherly tone.

The other Gems looked at Lapis who held Azure closely. They all had sympathetic smiles for Lapis, who was holding on to Azure in fear of losing him. Azure then stood up, but he felt somewhat exhausted.

"Pearl, you said you wanted to train Lapis and I. Don't worry about me. I feel better than last time." Azure said.

"Are you sure about this, Azure? You look rather tired after what happened." Pearl questioned.

"I want to protect the people I care for. If I have to protect Lapis, then I need to learn how to fight" Azure said.

Pearl was amazed on how determined he was. Reluctant, she decided to teach him how to fight. Lapis followed along as well.

"Follow me to the training room. We'll be able to train there." Pearl said.

######

Azure and Lapis entered the training room. Much to their surprise, it wasn't a 'room'. It was an open space arena, floating in the clouds. Pearl had a spear ready on her right hand.

"Are you ready, Azure?" Pearl asked.

Azure held a sword made of ice, courtesy of Lapis. It felt cold to him, but not too cold. The sword was in shape of a katana.

"Here I come!" Pearl said.

Pearl dashed forward, pretending to strike at Azure. In response, he move the sword in a crude attempt to shield himself. Pearl's fake attack stopped. She began to lecture Azure on how to fight with a sword.

That's all from here.

Note 1: Azure's gradual change begins to occur as the protrusion begins to form.

Note 2: The change of Azure turning into a Gem is a deeper meaning, other than the light of Lapis causing it.

Note 3: A time skip will happen in the next chapter. This covers on the amount of time needed for Azure to be ready with a sword.

Anything else, send a review.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2: A determined heart. Dormant to awakening.

I do not own anything from Steven Universe.

Four years have passed since Azure and Lapis joined the Crystal Gems. The constant pain that Azure suffered from being turned into a Gem was starting to lessen, but it was still incapacitating at times. His appearance started to change. His baby fat was disappearing and he appeared slim yet somewhat muscular. The protrusion on his chest was slowly forming. Plus, he was a quick learner, despite being home-schooled by the Gems. Currently, Lapis was watching him and Pearl dueling. He was able to outmaneuver her, causing Pearl to fall on the ground.

"You're getting better, Azure. I have a feeling you will surpass me, even if I'm using two spears." Pearl admitted with a prideful, yet soft smile.

Lapis had to admit that she was impressed on how far Azure was going. She still felt guilty at times when Azure showed recent episodes of pain at times.

'He has went through a lot despite being young… Hopefully when the time comes, he'll truly understand everything on what's to come in his life' Lapis thought.

Azure looked at Pearl with a prideful smile. He grabbed her hand and pulled her up. He bowed in response from the fight.

"I'll admit, it has been fun since I've been training with you all. I still need to make sure my training is complete so I can truly fight with Lapis and the others." Azure said with a bashful expression.

By then, Amethyst and Garnet showed up. They noticed how Azure and Pearl finishing their duel with each other.

"You two have been training again? Azure surely wants to grow stronger as much as he can, doesn't he?" Amethyst said in a joking manner.

"I would say that it's very impressive. Despite being mostly human, Azure is pushing himself to go beyond his limits. Even without future vision, I could tell he will be an excellent warrior as Rose foresaw." Garnet said.

Upon hearing the word 'Rose', everyone stopped. Garnet realized what she said and felt depressed upon it.

'Dang it… I should've foreseen this… Even though it has been four years since Rose gave birth to her son, it costed her physical form… I was too careless when I mentioned her name.' Garnet thought in self-spite.

Azure turned to Garnet and showed a sullen expression. She felt terrible, seeing the emotions he was holding back.

"I know, Garnet… Rose told me that I will be a great warrior… Plus, I have to fulfill her promise in raising her son… However, I don't think he'll be ready right now." Azure said.

"You're right, Azure… In regards with Rose's son, we'll meet with his father in 6 years." Garnet said.

"Alright… We'll meet with him in 6 years. For now, we need to continue to train ourselves to prepare for anything." Azure said.

Amethyst decided to walk up to Azure. Everyone noticed how she was acting composed. Garnet and Pearl sat with Lapis to watch the training.

"Azure, I want to train alongside you. Pearl has been doing most of the combat training with you, and I barely had a chance." Amethyst said.

"Okay, Amethyst. I'm ready when you are. Don't hold back." Azure said.

Amethyst reached to her gemstone located on her chest. From it, a whip appeared. The whip had purple thorns of crystals. It was divided in three ends which have sharp purple crystals. It looked intimidating at first glance.

"Hope you're ready. Here I come!" Amethyst said.

Amethyst used her whip to ensnare Azure's sword. She then pulled it off from his hand, forcing him to use his fists in response.

"Don't think Pearl taught me only swordsmanship. I learned how to fight in close combat in case I don't have a weapon." Azure said.

Amethyst merely smirked in a cocky way. She then lashed her whip to try and capture Azure. This made him jump up to avoid getting enmeshed by her whip. Amethyst persisted, making her whip move at fast speeds.

'She's quick… Unlike Pearl, who's more like a dancer and is graceful, Amethyst is more of a wild fighter. That whip also makes her specialized in mid to long range combat. Although she intends to make me get pressured from the long range attacks, this tactic has a fatal weakness.' Azure thought.

Azure continued dodging Amethyst's whip. With each attack the whip did, he was able to predict where she would attack next. Amethyst believed she had the upper hand till she sent her whip ahead of Azure.

'Bingo…' He thought.

Immediately, Azure dashed to Amethyst, catching her by surprise. The sudden change in speed left her open to be attacked. By then, Azure spun on the ball of his left foot to deliver a kick on her head. The force of the attack knocked Amethyst off her feet, making her fall to the ground.

"Wow, didn't see that coming." Amethyst complimented with surprise.

Azure briefly chuckled and pulled Amethyst up. Lapis felt proud, seeing how Azure was improving. She took notice how he was able to overcome Amethyst so quickly, despite using one whip.

'He's gone a long way, yet he wants to make sure he remains strong. I can't ask for anyone like him to be replaced…' Lapis thought.

Garnet and Pearl were proud of Azure becoming more battle oriented. They couldn't help but smile in response.

"Azure has been training with us for years. His ability to recognize the threat of the battle is something to fathom." Pearl said.

"He can easily rival against me with that kind of skill. One day, he might be able to battle against fusions." Garnet said.

Amethyst decided to step her game. She summoned two whips, causing Azure to move back from her. This caused him to move back away from her.

'This one's tricky… If I try the same method from before, the second whip can defend herself from a counter… I need to rethink a new strategy to fight her down.' Azure thought.

The whips were sent to him at rapid speeds at a consecutive manner. This caused a great deal of pressure for Azure to strike back.

'Those whips don't seem to have an exact length on how far they stretch. Then again, the length of the arena is a factor to be wary of… I can't risk getting entangled… No doubt she'll try to attack me once I get caught. However, I can dodge her attacks, even from a certain distance.' Azure thought analytically.

Azure's analysis of Amethyst was put to hold when she ignited the whips in ethereal, purple fire. This got him in complete surprise, seeing the new attack.

'I knew I shouldn't get caught… Those flames are dangerously hot. What else she has up in her sleeve?' Azure thought in question.

Immediately, Amethyst began to spin like a ball in rapid speeds. An aura of purple covered her, the purple flames included. This caused Azure to jump up to avoid getting hit.

'So she can do a spin dash and enwrap herself in purple flames… Reckless, but dangerous to take a hit from something like that…' Azure thought with a sweat drop.

Unfortunately, the flames melted the ice sword Lapis provided to him. Azure knew he was in a disadvantage due to Amethyst's unpredictable attacks. Before he could think, Amethyst was heading to him. In reflexive response, he shut his eyes till something happened. The protrusion on Azure's chest began to glow in a soft, opaque blue-gray color. Azure was shocked of seeing the light emanate from his chest.

"What is this feeling? It's like something within me is awakening…" Azure said to himself.

By then, the light was being manipulated. It began to move around Azure. The whole sight shocked everyone watching. By then, a thin wall of light was created, blocking Amethyst's attack.

(Play Steven Universe OST - Atop the Sea Spire)

Azure looked at his hands, noticing a faint glow of light being apparent. Everyone was shocked to see such an extraordinary moment.

"I can…manipulate light?" Azure asked with amazement.

Amethyst, seeing that Azure was distracted, decided to attack him. She used her whips in an attempt to catch him. However, this resulted in a shield of light protecting him.

"You finally awakened your powers, Azure." Amethyst said.

"My powers? You mean my ability to use light?" Azure asked.

Amethyst wasted no time and attacked Azure in a spin dash. Seeing the battle wasn't over, Azure made the light around him form into a weapon. The light took in the form of a sword. It was glowing in a bright aura.

"I may need to get used to this since it is my first time using this special powe." Azure comically said.

He blocked Amethyst and forcefully made her move into a different direction. This caused Amethyst to pierce through a nearby pillar.

"Like a bullet from a gun…" Azure said with a surprise.

The pillar was about to fall on to him. Seeing the pillar heading to him, Azure quickly swung his light sword. He didn't expect the pillar to be sliced in two.

'Sharp…' He thought with shock.

(Steven Universe OST - Atop the Sea Spire ends here)

The other gems were surprised on seeing Azure's new ability.

"This is completely new… Usually, Gems can manipulate light by making images, summoning weapons, or for illuminating dark places. Azure's case is actual manipulation of light." Garnet said.

"His Gem ability is photokinesis!?" Pearl questioned in complete surprise.

Lapis noticed how Azure was manipulating light. She compared it to her hydrokinesis, only it felt rather comfortable to her from the sensation. The light was making her feel Azure's emotions.

"Ready for Round 2, Amethyst?" Azure called out.

"I'm ready when you are." Amethyst replied.

Azure charged forward, holding the light sword. Amethyst swung her whips to catch him. Anticipating her attacks, Azure jumped up to avoid the whips. One nearly entangled him, but he managed to slice it midway before it could capture him.

"Wow, you're learning quickly there." Amethyst complimented.

"If I have to admit on this training session, I wouldn't stand a chance against you if we both fought seriously." Azure said.

Amethyst laughed as they continued to train. She then caused her whips to ignite in purple flames. They were racing towards Azure. He noticed the whips coming to him in a wave pattern.

"A whiplash… As if I hardly got enough…" Azure joked.

He forcefully descended to avoid the whips. However, Amethyst noted how exhausted he looked. Reluctant, she made her whips disappear.

"You should take a breather, Azure. You're looking too tired to fight anymore." Amethyst said.

Before Azure could say anything, he collapsed on the ground. Lapis noticed this and went to him. She was concerned when he collapsed on the ground, only to realize he used up his stamina. Garnet walked up to them.

"He'll be okay… Azure has little experience to controlling his Gem powers. If he continues training, he'll be able to use them without exhausting himself." Garnet reassured.

Lapis held on to Azure's unconscious body. By then, she noticed the protrusion on his chest. It was forming an opaque, blue color. This made her look at it with shock.

"It can't be… I thought this was a legend." Lapis said.

"What is it, Lapis?" Garnet asked.

Pearl and Amethyst walked to Lapis, noting how she looked surprised. Before the three Gems could question her, Lapis briefly pulled Azure's shirt down from the crew neck, showing the slowly forming Gem. Garnet and Pearl were deeply shocked of what they saw from Azure. It was hard for them not to dismiss what they saw.

"The legendary Gem… It does exist…" Pearl said in shock.

"Angelite…" Garnet said in shock.

Amethyst was confused as to why Garnet and Pearl were showing such amazed expressions. She began to ask them for answers.

"Garnet, Pearl… Why are you two so surprised about Azure's Gem?" She asked.

"This kind of Gem has been a legendary story, even to Homeworld. No one, not even us, believed it would exist till now." Pearl said.

"What is so special about this Gem?" Amethyst asked, her attention fully caught in the topic.

"Unlike any Gems in general who form from Kindergarten, Angelite is different on how it forms. According to the legend, Angelite forms when a human bonds with a Gem. The bonding is not from a physical aspect or a mental aspect. Meaning, it is something deeper, almost as though it was from the spirit. Once a bond is formed, Angelite slowly develops from the human." Garnet explained.

"What kind of powers will an Angelite develop?" Pearl asked.

"Any human turned into an Angelite will have the ability to use light as their main form of attack. However, the true ability is to combine light with the Gem the human is with, For instance, Lapis's power will combine with Azure's, creating purifying water in result." Garnet said.

"When was this legend first told of?" Amethyst asked.

"It was told to us Gems about 9,500 years ago." Garnet said.

"Whoa… Wait, what happened to the Angelite from that time?" Amethyst questioned.

"The Angelite of that time perished during the rebellion… In legend, she rebelled against Homeworld and tried to protect the Earth from us. However, she was shattered during her fight against Homeworld." Pearl said.

Lapis held on to Azure closely, worried he may suffer the same fate.

"Garnet… Will he remain human or continue developing as a Gem?" Lapis asked reluctantly.

Garnet was reluctant to answer, but seeing Lapis with a concerned face, she despondently answered her question.

"Azure will retain his humanity…but, he has a few years till he no longer remains 100% human. He'll become a gem hybrid, unable to age or suffer from disease. We Gems are ageless so he'll become like us. However, he will still have his anatomy in check. However, the gem on his chest has replaced his actual heart. If the gem on his chest shatters, he will die. I also know this… Homeworld will start targeting him the moment they see him. Since the first Angelite was a Gem created from the love of a human and a Gem, she rebelled against the Great Diamond Authority, forming the Crystal Gems. Rose, having heard of the legend, followed Angelite's footsteps." Garnet said.

(Play Steven Universe OST – I Am Lapis Lazuli)

Lapis couldn't believe what she heard. She collapsed on the floor with despair, now knowing of the dangers Azure will have to face. Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl noticed her crying in soft sobs.

"Why…? Why haven't you told me about this? I ended up turning him into a Gem because he felt my emotions. He has now bonded with me since he freed me from that mirror. If only this didn't happen." Lapis said.

Azure groaned and woke up to see Lapis crying. He was shocked upon seeing her sad face.

"Lapis. What's wrong? Why are you crying?" Azure asked in concern.

Lapis heard his voice and noticed he was awake. With tears, she hugged him close, sobbing.

"Azure, I realized what is happening to you… You're turning into a legendary Gem that was believed to be forever lost." Lapis said.

"But why are you crying? I haven't done anything wrong" Azure questioned.

"No, it's not from you… It's my fault… I have made your life more risky now. You'll be targeted by our enemies." Lapis said, weeping.

Azure hugged Lapis to calm her worries. The other Gems could feel Lapis's sadness, feeling guilty.

"While I never imagined in becoming a Gem, that doesn't mean I'll let anything happen to you. This new power from me was the result of me meeting you, Lapis. I don't know why, but it drives me to grow stronger to protect you. I can't ask for anything other than seeing you happy." Azure said.

"I don't want to lose you, Azure… You've become more than just a friend. I never had anyone willing to protect me from anything. I don't want to lose you, Azure." Lapis tearfully confessed.

(I am Lapis Lazuli OST ends here)

Unable to say anything, Azure was silent while holding on to Lapis. Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl were all surprised on Lapis revealing how much she cares for him. They were all reminded of Rose Quartz.

'Rose… If only you're here to see this… A fellow Gem has fallen in love with a human who became a legendary being.' Pearl thought.

'Ruby and Sapphire have the same love Azure and Lapis are showing. If their bonds continue to develop, they may end up fusing to a powerful being. Their relationship goes beyond understanding Gems and humans' Garnet thought with a smile.

Azure looked at the other Gems. His determination was shown from his face.

"We know that you want to continue training, but take a break for today. Spend some time with Lapis so you can recuperate. You're still too inexperienced in knowing how Gems use their true abilities to fight, Azure. Tomorrow, we'll continue your training to help you understand your own power." Garnet said.

Azure understood and decided to take a break from training. Lapis was happy to be with him for the day, evident by her bright smile. Both felt content to being with each other.

######

(Play Steven Universe OST – Alone Together)

Outside at a familiar place, Lapis and Azure were walking. They began to remember how they met when he was a young boy.

"This brings back memories." Lapis said with a smile.

"Yeah… It's the same place where I found you in that mirror. I also freed you when you were trying to talk with me." Azure said.

Lapis smiled and she willed a small stream of water to move towards her. She made the water form into an ice sculpture of Azure and herself. The ice sculpture of Azure looked like he was in his late teens. Both were shown sitting together, watching the scene in front of them.

"Lapis…" Azure said, unable to think of anything.

Lapis giggled, seeing how he was surprised on Lapis using her power. He then channeled some of his light powers on the ice, making it shine brightly. A rainbow formed over it making the sculpture more beautiful.

"Wow, Azure. You made it look more beautiful." Lapis said.

Azure blushed in response. Lapis walked up to him and held him close. Both overlooked at the sunset at the beach.

(Alone Together OST ends here)

That's all from here.

Note 1: Another time skip will occur, which will officially start Steven's debut.

Note 2: Azure's power is tailored to his feelings. His main drive is to protect the people he cares for.

Note 3: Although never shown, Azure's power to combine light and water will be shown later on.

Any questions or response, send a review.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 3: Rose's son. A tearful reunion

I do not won anything from Steven Universe.

(Play Steven Universe OST – Mirror Gem)

Six years have passed. Azure is now 16 and has a near fully formed angelite stone on his chest shown in full glory. The process was starting to become comfortable to him. His body matured, appearing slim and athletic due to constant training with the Crystal Gems. His hair grew beyond shoulder length, forcing him to tie it up. Currently, he was sitting with Lapis at a boardwalk, overlooking the sea with the morning sky.

"Hey Azure. We should get ready to start searching for Rose's son." Lapis said.

Lapis held on to Azure from the back, interlocking her arms around his shoulders. Azure gently touched her arms.

"I'll be ready soon. Just thinking of childhood memories here." He said, reminiscing his times with the Crystal Gems.

"Okay, I'll let the others know." Lapis said.

Lapis used her hydrokinesis to form two wings to fly back to the temple of the Crystal Gems. Azure continued to look at the open ocean. A sullen expression marred his face.

'Rose, I may not understand what happened, but I do know for a fact that you had someone you loved. I'm not sure if I feel ready to see your son…' Azure thought with guilt.

He then stood up and left the boardwalk, heading to the Gem's temple.

'Maybe I might find out if it's worth finding and training him. Rose was never one to answer anything in regards about the future… Perhaps she intended to pass her teachings to us Crystal Gems.' Azure thought.

Azure left the board walk and went to the temple of the Crystal Gems.

(Mirror Gem OST ends here)

######

An hour later, Azure was ready. He was wearing a blue t-shirt with blue shorts and white sneakers. He was waiting patiently for the others to come out.

"You guys okay? I'm ready." He called out.

After Azure called out, the Gems came out. Amethyst, Garnet, and Pearl looked relatively the same. However, there was a minor difference with Lapis. She was wearing blue flip-flops for her feet.

"Let's go. We will be visiting Greg's home." Garnet said.

"You know where this person named Greg is?" Azure asked.

"Yes. He provided me the name of his vehicle and where he works at so I can quickly reach to his place without getting lost in Beach City." Garnet said.

"So how will we get to his place? He lives quite a distance away from the temple." Azure said.

Lapis giggled quietly, but everyone, save for Azure, heard her.

"We'll be using our teleporters to make it to the place. I'm sure you noticed from that training arena we teleported there." Garnet said.

"Wait, the teleportation was different because it felt like walking through doors. These teleporting pads are not like anything I've experienced." Azure said.

"It'll feel a bit funny at first, but you'll get used to it. We Gems often use them to cover long distance travel." Amethyst said.

"Alright then. Let's go." Azure said with a smile.

The Crystal Gems stepped on the teleport pad and disappeared in a column of light.

######

At a bright flash of light, the Gems arrived at what looked like a small building with a sign saying 'It's a Wash'. Behind it, there was a hill which overlooked the sea at the horizon. A large van, almost looking like an RV was shown parked near it. The van was a white mid-1970's Dodge Tradesman with an elaborate custom paint job; an outer-space mural with asteroids, shooting stars, and planets combined with a purple and white 'Mr. Universe' logo and red, orange, and blue stripes. Azure was amazed on seeing the area.

"Wow… I didn't think he would choose a peaceful part of Beach Town. Between Waterman and Thayer, this is one of the unique areas in this place." Azure said.

"You know a lot about this town, Azure?" Lapis asked.

"I still remember how the place looks. I used to come here when I was helping out the caretakers in the orphanage with their tasks" Azure said.

"Despite being young, you were willing to go that far?" Amethyst asked with surprise.

"It's not like I didn't had a choice. I wanted to try and help the caretakers who took me in. I never knew my mother or father so I often felt alone. One of the caretakers educated me and made me learn how to help others" Azure said.

Lapis and the others were surprised on hearing about Azure's brief past. Despite his reminiscence, they all went to the large van and knocked on it.

"Greg? We have come back." Garnet said.

The back doors of the van opened. Inside the van, there was a large sound system. Inside, two male figures were shown. One was a younger kid, about 6 years old. He had curly black-brown hair with black irises. His body had a stocky built, appearing rather short. He was wearing a salmon-pink T-shirt with a gold star in the center of it. The shirt was several sizes larger than him. He was also wearing sky blue shorts but had not footwear. There was a small bandage on his left cheek. He was holding a ukulele, playing it.

"Ah, we have been waiting for you all. It looks like you guys found two new friends." The man said.

The man in question was more of an adult-like version of the young boy. He was plump in appearance and had a dark-beige beard surrounding his mouth. His taupe hair is styled in a mullet grown past his shoulders. He had a receding hairline, which resulted in him having a large bald spot on his head. His eyes were a dark-taupe color. His choice of clothing is a white tank top, with long or short gray pants and blue flip-flops. His skin has a tan line on his shoulders and feet. The tan lines separated his skin in to two distinctive colors. One part was a light apricot color and the other was a red-peachy color.

"Yes, these are newest members of the Crystal Gems. I'm sure Rose told you about them, Greg" Garnet said.

"Ah, now I remember. If I recall, the young lady with the blue dress must be Lapis and the one near him is named Azure." Greg said.

'Quite a lot of optimism this person has.' Azure thought, feeling welcomed.

"He looks like he has been having fun." Pearl said,

"Well, I've taught him everything on how to play music and he immediately learned it quick. Guess the apple didn't fell far from the tree." Greg joked.

Greg had a brief look at Azure, realizing that he looked human. However, he could see the angelite stone on his chest.

"Hmm? Azure, are you a Gem?" Greg asked curiously.

"Well, you're half-right… I'm actually half-human due to special circumstances." Azure said.

"Half-human!? How did you become half-Gem?" Greg asked.

"It's rather complicated to say so I'll shorten it out for you. My best friend, Lapis, was the reason. Unknowingly, when I was a kid, I felt her emotions from the gemstone when it shined at me. Due to the experience, my body began to change. As a result, my heart turned into a gemstone." Azure said.

"Does it feel strange to you?" Greg asked, concerned for Azure.

"No, it doesn't hurt anymore. I had this gemstone growing in me when I was 6 years old." Azure said.

"I see. How did this happen to you?" Greg continued.

"Believe it or not, this has been regarded as a legend among all Gems, both Homeworld and Crystal. This legend began about 9,500 years ago." Azure said.

"What!? 9500 years ago!?" Greg asked with shock.

"Yes… A Gem felt a strong bond with a female human… No one can find out what was the cause of the bond to form. It existed beyond physical and emotional, almost akin to being bonded at the spiritual level. When the Gem shined its light at the person, she became a legendary figure that forever caused an impact to Rose. The name of the Gem, born from the human, was called Angelite. The newly created Gem fought against Homeworld to liberate the Earth. However, she perished in a valiant fight." Azure explained.

"Wow… That's quite an epic tale to hear… So, you became a new Gem because you felt something from Lapis. You two remind me of her when we were together." Greg admitted with a stray tear.

"What's wrong, Dad?" The boy asked.

The young boy looked at the people with his father. The Crystal Gems saw him and they all felt Rose from within him.

(Play Steven Universe OST - The Hill)

'Rose's son…' Azure thought.

The young boy went up to Azure, who was desperately holding his grief back. The others noticed this and were sympathetic for him.

"What's wrong? Why are you so sad?" The boy asked.

Greg walked up to the young boy. This got his attention to his father.

"Let him have some time to sort his thoughts out, Steven. Your mother had several friends whom cared for her." Greg said.

Azure's grief was threatening to show itself. He quickly took off, jumping several meters at a nearby hill. Lapis could physically feel his sadness.

"I'll follow him… He still needs some time to understand." Lapis said, creating wings of water.

Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl watched as Lapis flew to where Azure left.

'He's just like Pearl, but even he would feel such sadness from losing Rose.' Garnet thought.

######

Lapis was able to find Azure, holding his grief back. Tears were streaming down his face.

"Azure…" Lapis said with sympathy.

"It's so hard… Trying to overcome the fact that someone, whom I could've called 'Mother', is gone… I understand her love for Greg, but I still feel conflicted…" Azure said.

A torrent of emotions was surging in Lapis. She could feel the pain he was holding back.

"It's okay, Azure… I'm feeling what you're feeling. I didn't want to lose you. I'm also sad when Rose disappeared. I want to continue moving forward and fight alongside the Crystal Gems… She was like an older sister, but in your eyes, she was like a mother you were looking for." Lapis said with sympathy.

Azure was quietly shedding tears. His face was looking down the ground. Lapis held on to him from behind, alleviating his sadness.

"I can understand what you're feeling. I'm still grateful for Rose Quartz healing my cracked gemstone. It does feel painful to grace her son with our presence. However, we need to make sure we help train Steven in honor of Rose Quartz. It was a promise which she wanted us to fulfill." Lapis said.

Azure quietly sobbed as his breathing became erratic. Lapis felt him quiver as she heard the quiet sobs. She had some tears flow from her eyes, feeling his emotions. Both shed quiet tears for a full two minutes. Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl eventually showed up to see the pair shedding tears.

'Azure…' Pearl thought with deep concern.

'He cared for Rose as though a child cared for his or her mother.' Garnet thought with melancholy.

'This never feels good… Seeing them crying like that makes me feel terrible.' Amethyst thought.

The Gems went up to the pair to alleviate their sadness. Their gemstones glowed in a soft light. Although they made a very faint glow in the daylight, the light was warm to Azure. It helped alleviate his sadness.

"Thank you… I feel a bit better now." Azure said with an expressionless look.

Lapis could feel some of the lingering grief, but it was subdued. The Gems knew he was suppressing it to keep his emotions at check.

"If you still feel this way Azure, we can let you head back to the temple." Pearl said.

(Play Steven Universe OST – Mirror Gem)

Azure shook his head gently. His tear stained face was shown, but he kept a stoic expression.

"No, I have to overcome this… Rose raised me during her brief time when Lapis and I joined with you all. I won't let her lessons be all for naught." Azure said with determination.

Lapis and Pearl were surprised on his speech. Both couldn't help but feel his grief hidden from within his heart. Both Gems held Azure close to him to alleviate it.

"We all miss Rose Quartz so it does make us shed tears to see her son. However, you're right Azure. Rose indeed raised all of us to protect the Earth. You and Lapis may be our newest members, but I can see that Rose has indeed cared for you as well, despite how short the time was." Pearl said.

Azure smiled somberly. Garnet and Amethyst were also moved to tears. Azure's gemstone began to glow in a white glow, manifesting a veil of light. The light formed into a familiar shape, something all the Gems noticed. The light began to turn into a pink color, till it formed into a construct of Rose Quartz's appearance. Azure walked to the construct of light and took a knee. A small tear was shown flowing out of his left eye.

"Rose… I may not be certain on what I should do… However, your belief has guided me, even though your time was suddenly cut short to procure the birth of your son… Although I still find myself questioning my role, I feel that your son has a greater destiny than me. He might hold the key to ending the tyranny of Homeworld." Azure said.

"You can do it, Azure. I can trust you on this." The construct said.

(Mirror Gem OST ends here)

The construct faded away in a cloud of light particles. All the Gems were in shock on how he was acting, not to mention mournful. Azure slowly stood up, a lone tear stain at his left cheek.

"I'm ready…" He said.

The Gems all held hands with each other and walk down the hill, back to Greg's van.

######

Greg was waiting for the Crystal Gems to come back. Upon seeing them walk down the hill, he then noticed Azure looking slightly melancholy.

"Is everything okay, Azure?" Greg asked with concern.

"It's okay now, Mr. Universe. I'm fine now." Azure reassured.

"Okay… Steven said he wanted to see you again before you left." Greg said.

Azure felt the familiar feeling of sadness but was able to overcome it. He mentally shook his head and walked to where Steven was. The Gems watched Azure interact with Steven.

"Hello, Steven." Azure said in a calm tone.

"Hi! Are you one of the Gems like Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl?" Steven asked innocently.

"I'm not 100% Gem… I'm actually just like you, Steven." Azure answered with a smile.

"What do you mean you're like me? Ae you my brother?" Steven asked, tilting his head.

Azure laughed heartedly. He shook his head as the young boy was trying to understand what Azure meant. Lapis felt a hint of sadness grow within him.

"I wouldn't say I'm your brother because I had my own parents. However, I never knew them ever since I was a child. I meant to say that you're also half-Gem and half-human like me." Azure answered.

"You mean you have an amazing stone like the one on my belly button?" Steven asked with stars in his irises.

Azure chuckled from Steven's excitement, shaking his head lightly.

"I do have an amazing gemstone, but it's not on my belly button. It is right here." He said, lifting his shirt up.

Steven saw the heart shaped gemstone on Azure's chest. He was amazed and stared at him in awe. The Gems were all smiling, seeing Steven's excitement.

"It looks like a heart." Steven said innocently.

Azure laughed as Steven pointed out the shape of his gemstone. The Gems decided to talk with Steven. They all amazed him upon seeing them walk towards him.

"Hi Steven. It's been a few months since we last saw each other." Garnet said in a motherly tone.

"It felt longer than months." Steven said.

I'm sorry, but we have been training our two new friends. You already met Azure, whom has a gemstone in his chest, but you didn't meet the other one" Garnet responded.

Garnet walked to Azure after finishing. By then, Lapis showed up. Steven was noticed she looked mellower but was friendly.

"My name is Lapis Lazuli. I'm the second newest person that Garnet told you about." Lapis said in a calm tone, bowing with her wings of water being shown.

"Wow… You look amazing… Is that your power? Making water move?" Steven asked.

"Y-yes. I can make water do what I like." Lapis said.

She made water in a cup slowly levitate in the air before forming a sphere. The orb then changed into an exact shape of Steven before it changed to the shape of Azure.

"Wow… That was cool." Steven said with stars in his irises.

Amethyst and Pearl walked up to Steven as Lapis walked to Azure, where Garnet waited.

"It has been a while, Steven" Pearl said with a smile.

"We came here to visit you for a reason." Amethyst said calmly.

Steven hopped from where he was standing, seeing the two familiar Gems arriving. They all smiled seeing how energetic he was.

"Am I coming with you all in a great adventure?" Steven asked with excitement.

"Yes, we decided to come and ask you to come with us and be part of the Crystal Gems." Pearl said.

Steven jumped up with excitement. He then ran to Greg with excitement, who was nearby.

"Dad, can I go with them? They have come for me because I want to be a Crystal Gem." Steven asked.

Greg knew that his son's destiny was tied with the Crystal Gems. Steven will never have a normal life like any ordinary boy would. He also looked at Azure, whom he felt had a deeper connection with Rose. Although reluctant, he agreed to allow Steven with the Crystal Gems.

"Alright. I'll let you join the Crystal Gems. However, I'll help in building a house for you." Greg said.

"Oh, Rose prepared a home near the temple so it's fine for Steven to move his stuff there if he wants. We can remodel it to suit his needs." Azure said.

"Okay, but mind if I have a look just in case? I can bring Steven with me." Greg asked.

The Crystal Gems nodded in response. They all smiled in response. Greg started his van and drove off to the Crystal Gems temple. Azure and the Gems teleported to the temple.

######

Greg arrived at the site. To say he was surprised, it was an understatement. The house was a made like a sacred place, appearing like a modestly-sized dwelling with one large interior room and an upper level. There was a balcony/deck with further seating and an umbrella. The wood glittered with light as the sunlight touched it.

"Wow… I never thought Rose would be able to help in making this place…" Greg said with surprise.

Nearby, a gem teleporter shined. Azure and the Gems came out of the teleportation device. They all saw Greg and Steven waiting outside.

"You guys did a great job building the house. How is the house glowing in the sun with such a shine?" Greg asked.

"That would be because of me… I enchanted the wood with light to be more durable and protective. This ability that I discovered years ago allows me to create enhancements without tiring. A unique feature about it is the enhancements self-sustainability. It used the sunlight and moonlight to power itself, therefore keeping it enchanted till the end of time." Azure said.

"Wow, that's amazing. Let's have a look of the interior." Greg said.

Everyone walked inside. The upper level acted a miniature room. The main interior had a lounge, fireplace, kitchen/bar, and a bathroom.

"Is there anything else about this place?" Greg asked.

"Well, the entrance to the Crystal Temple is at the deeper interior. There are rooms for each Gem, providing some privacy for everyone." Garnet said.

"Oh, good point in pointing that out" Greg said.

"In any case, the main household will be perfect for Steven. If he moves here, he has plenty of places to see." Azure said.

"I agree. We will have a lot of things we can do to protect the Earth." Amethyst said with excitement.

######

The Gems began to slowly moving in Steven's furniture in the house. They were all working hard. Lapis and Azure used their individual powers to help with the household. Azure used his light powers to lift the furniture up and place them in appropriate places. Lapis commanded the water to wash off any dirt or clean off any dust in the house. The others helped with the cleaning and lifting as well.

"Whew… That takes care of moving the furniture around. Let's see if there's anything else I need to do." Azure said.

He then used his photokinesis to shine on the house in order to find any leftover dust. Using a dust fan, he managed to clean the house off from any dust that was overlooked. Garnet showed up, seeing Azure cleaning the house up.

"You don't have to strain yourself, Azure. You're not a full gem so you will need to rest for some time." Garnet said in a caring tone.

"I know, Garnet, but I want to help develop this place as much as I can. I've been raised by you and the Crystal Gems. For that, I want to help provide my support with Steven as a sign of gratitude from Rose and also being a respecting brother for him." Azure said.

The Gem had a small smile and knelt down near him. She then kissed Azure on his forehead. This caused him to see a faint vision of the future. He could see himself with Lapis, protecting the Earth and fighting alongside the Crystal Gems.

"Whoa… Was that a vision of the future?" Azure asked with surprise.

"Yes. I have the ability to project visions of the future by kissing on the forehead. This allows me to share my visions, but they're limited to being changed." Garnet said.

"The future is never set on stones in time. Of course it can be subjected to being changed, depending on one's actions that can influence those changes." Garnet explained.

'I'll have to thank Pearl's and Garnet's homeschooling… Otherwise I wouldn't be this smart without them.' Azure thought with a chuckle.

"Is there something that made you laugh?" Garnet asked.

"Just thinking on how thankful I am for you and Pearl homeschooling me." Azure said.

Garnet smiled in response. By then, Lapis came by, noticing Azure and Garnet talking in a jovial mood.

"Let's make sure Steven is also well-educated. For humans, there's a saying that makes us rather unique… 'Knowledge is power'." Azure said.

"I agree as well. Not having knowledge is essentially asking for one to fight in a one-sided battle." Garnet said.

Azure noticed Lapis nearby and smiled. She smiled in response, seeing him looking more positive.

"I was about to let Garnet know that I finished washing the house up. What were you about to do, Azure?" Lapis asked.

"Oh, I was about to dust the house off. I may have lived here for some time, but I haven't done much other than training." Azure said.

Lapis smiled in response. Garnet felt the familiar feeling of parental love to Azure when he was a young boy. It made her look back to how they initially met.

That's all from here.

Note 1: Next chapter officially starts Steven Universe. I'll be focusing on more important plots for Steven universe to make the story more interesting.

Note 2: Although it was a short amount of time, Azure holds a deep bond with Rose, akin to that of an adopted child. He often thinks of Rose as his adoptive mother, despite Lapis being with him.

Anything else, send a review.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 4: Rose's light.

I do not own anything from Steven Universe.

It has been 7 long years as Steven finally moved in with the Crystal Gems. Azure, whom he looks up to as an older brother figure, is now 23 years old. However, he hasn't aged at all beyond his 18th birthday. He appears the same way as he was sixteen. Lapis was acting more of a tender older sister to Steven, often showing her power of hydrokinesis when Azure's around. Currently, the boys are walking at a small, shopping place. Steven also matured, albeit slightly. His clothes were able to fit him perfectly.

"You sure are excited to get your favorite ice cream, Steven." Azure said in a calm, joking tone.

"I am excited! The Cookie Cat ice cream is being sold in the Big Donut. I have to purchase the last of it before it's gone." Steven said.

Azure snorted in amusement from the name of the store. True to its name, the store the boys arrived at had a large donut sign on the roof. It was covered in chocolate icing with pink, green, and blue sprinkles. The roof is colored in a blue and pink pattern, the walls are a muted violet-brown, and the window canopies are a deep pink and brown striped pattern. At the awning, the words 'Big Donut' were printed. There was a nearby pink umbrella with a table.

'If anything, the name is quite ironic… The store used to sell only donuts, but has since expanded to selling other forms of sweets like croissants and ice cream. It has become a commercial success during the old days.' Azure mused in thought.

The boys went inside and noticed two familiar faces in the store.

"Hey Steven, hey Azure." A girl said.

The boys looked at the girl who called them. She was short and heavyset, with curly blonde hair. The girl was wearing the store's uniform, consisting of a periwinkle polo underneath a purple shirt, which displays the Big Donut logo, which is almost like a half-eaten donut, black leggings and pink-red shoes.

"Hi Sadie. Steven wanted to come here to buy something from the store as you can see from his excitement." Azure said in a polite manner.

"Oh, I'll bet it's the Cookie Cat ice cream, isn't it?" Sadie asked.

"Yes, you read our thoughts. Why do you sound somewhat melancholy? It's as though you don't want to say something." Azure responded.

"Well…" Sadie paused.

Before she could respond, Sadie noticed Steven looking at a Cookie Cat ice cream machine. He had a shocked, distraught expression before falling to his knees on the floor.

"NOOOOO! This can't be happening! Is this a dream!? I must be dreaming!" Steven shouted in hysteria.

Azure shook his head, feeling empathetic for Steven's reaction.

'I don't blame him for acting this way… He did liked the ice cream brand due to its unique shape and flavors…' Azure thought with sympathy.

Steven rushed to an employee of the shop. He looked lanky and taller than the young half-Gem. He had tunnels in his stretched earlobes. His hair style is a curly Mohawk and the color was orange-brown. His choice of clothing was a white-gray, long-sleeved shirt, ripped, dark blue jeans, and mint and dark green high top sneakers. He had his work uniform, which is a violet T-shirt with a half-eaten donut design on it.

"Tell me I'm dreaming Lars! Tell me if I'm dreaming!" Steven said in his frantic tone.

Lars had a slight, rude look on him. He didn't like Steven interacting with him.

"Steven, I'm trying to stack here so get off me." Lars said in a rude tone.

Steven ignored the rude tone and fell on the floor face first. Azure showed a serious expression after seeing Lars treating Steven with such rudeness.

'Sheesh… Laramie really need to take a chill pill once in a while…' Azure thought.

"I'm sorry Steven. I guess the company is discontinuing their production of them." Sadie said.

"Discontinuing their products? They're the most scrumptious ice cream sandwiches ever made! Isn't there a law for this!?" Steven said.

Azure showed a deadpan expression from Steven's outburst.

'Ironically, the company went bankrupt for a reason… This happens so there's a law for that.' Azure thought.

"Tough luck, man. No one buys those anymore. Lion Lickers became the next generation" Lars said nonchalantly.

"Stop adding fuel to the fire, man." Azure said with a grunt.

"Arghh! Not Lion Lickers. Nobody doesn't like them. They don't even look like lions. Kids these days…" Steven scoffed.

"Well if you miss your ice cream so much, why don't you use your magical belly button?" Lars joked.

"Not funny Lars." Azure said, manipulating a sheet of light in front of the teen.

"Hey! Get that out of my way!" Lars exclaimed.

"Sure." Azure said, making the screen pop at Lar's face.

"It doesn't work that way Lars. Azure may be able to make light do what he wants but he can't make the ice cream." Steven emphasized.

He then walked up to the freezer with a depressed look.

"Sweet Cookie Cats, crunchy on the outside, sweet on the inside." Steven said.

"Uh, Steven. Why not take the freezer with you?" Sadie suggested.

######

Azure and Steven were heading their way back to the Crystal Temple. Steven was holding the freezer with the Cookie Cat logo.

"You sure it was okay to take it?" Azure asked.

"I can have something that can remind me of it. Too bad there are no more Cookie Cat ice creams though." Steven said.

Azure felt bad for him since his favorite ice cream brand was gone. By then, the boys noticed strange creatures lurking around the house. They looked like centipedes but had mandibles of a beetle. Their upper bodies were a dark green color, almost black. Underneath, their colors were a sickly green. A single eye was shown within the creatures' mouths. One of them lunged at Steven, its saliva dripping on the floor.

"Steven!" Azure responded, manipulating light.

Azure created a sword and sliced the creature. It poofed into a cloud of smoke, leaving nothing of it behind. He noticed the creature's saliva was dissolving the floor.

"Steven, stay away from these creatures. Their spit is acid." Azure warned.

"What about the others? Let's head in the house." Steven said.

The boys quickly went inside the house, only to have two of the creatures lunge at them. Lapis and Amethyst ensnared them with their respective weapons before they got the boys.

"Hey guys." Amethyst said.

"We could use some help." Lapis said.

The boys noticed the creatures swarming in the house. Azure created a sword of light. He began to slice the creatures down, poofing them.

"What are these things?" Steven asked.

"Centipeedles. These are nasty creatures." Pearl answered.

She created her spear and began swinging it in a graceful manner. The centipeedles surrounding her were thrown away. One was thrown to Garnet, who caught the creature and poofed it.

"Where did these things come from and why did they showed up here?" Azure asked.

"They appeared to be going to the temple, although I don't know what purpose." Pearl answered.

"One thing we should note: these creatures had no gems. That means the real one or the queen must be near. It would be a good idea to find the queen and fast before Beach City gets an infestation." Azure said.

Steven went to the refrigerator, noting how ransacked it looked.

"They even scarfed all the food down… Not cool!" He said.

Upon looking at the freezer, he became shocked. There were several packs of Cookie Cat ice cream.

"No way… It can't be…" Steven said with happiness on his face.

Azure held back a chuckle as he saw Steve's excited face. Lapis didn't understood why, but she too felt the need to hold back her laughter. Steven picked out a single pack of the ice cream.

"You guys got this much for me?" Steven asked.

"We know how much you like this brand of ice cream so much. The Gems told us to head to Big Donut, but it was for buying time for them to acquire this much." Garnet said.

"We did manage to steal some on the way." Amethyst said.

"But we also had to pay for them." Pearl reprimanded.

Azure chuckled from Amethyst's and Pearl's interactions.

'Always acting like sisters bickering of their opinions and actions… It does feel comforting at times to see them acting like a family.' He thought.

"Wait, does that mean…?" Steven paused in question.

"Guilty as charged. It was my idea, no pun intended." Garnet admitted.

Azure held his laughter at bay in response. Pearl noticed him in response.

"Someone's having the giggles." Pearl said, making Azure laugh in response.

(Play Steven Universe OST - Cookie Cat song)

Steven began to sing his favorite song from the ice cream brand.

"Oohhhhh! He's a frozen treat with an all-new taste!

Cause he came to this planet from outer space!

A refugee of an interstellar war!

But now he's at your local grocery store!

Cookie Cat!

He's a pet for your tummy!

Cookie Cat!

He's super-duper yummy!

Cookie Cat!

He left his family behind!

Cookie Caaaaat!

Now available at Gurgens off Route 109!"

The long ending made Pearl, Amethyst, Azure and Lapis chuckle. Garnet composed herself and provided an applause.

"I can't believe you guys did this. I'm gonna save these forever, right after I eat this one." Steven said.

He pulled the ice cream sandwich out. Azure couldn't help but be captivated from the ice cream sandwich. The smell reached his nose but he kept himself composed. Steven took one bite on the ice cream and felt a powerful wave of happiness. This triggered his gemstone, causing it to glow in a soft pink color.

"So good… I'd like to eat the ears first." He said.

The Gems and Azure were surprised when they noticed Steven's gemstone glowing. He didn't notice at first, but the others did.

"Steven, your gem…" Azure said.

Steven looked down and noticed his gem glowing brightly. He didn't know what to do.

"My gem… It's glowing!" He said with shock.

"Quick, try to summon your weapon." Amethyst instructed.

"I don't know how… My gem's fading!" Steven responded.

"Calm down, Steven… Try to remember what you felt when you ate the Cookie Cat ice cream." Azure said.

"I felt very happy when I did…" Steven said, unable to find the real reason for his gem to glow.

"Breathe calmly, Steven. Don't force your gem to summon." Pearl instructed.

"Try not to poop yourself either." Amethyst said.

"Please don't…" Garnet said.

'A little crude, even for Garnet.' Azure thought comically.

Steven's gemstone stopped glowing. This made everyone sigh collectively.

"Aww… I was really close that time… Can one of you explain how can I summon my weapon?" Steven asked to the gems.

"Ooh, I'll go first. Follow me. ~" Pearl said excitingly.

Steven followed Pearl to one of the temple doors. It has Pearl's symbol on it. When Steven and Pearl entered, a flash of light covered their sight.

######

(Play Steven universe OST – Pearl's room)

The flash disappeared, causing Steven's sight to adapt. All he saw was a large field of grass with a cherry blossom tree nearby. Pearl was under the tree, waiting for Steven.

"Pay attention to the petals falling around us, Steven. They may be dancing, but it is due to the physical properties of this planet that make them float in the wind." Pearl said.

Steven couldn't understand what Pearl was trying to explain. He just listened, but barely understood.

"With dedication, skill, and hard work, you'll master the magical properties of your gem and be able to perform a dance that is your own." Pearl explained.

She then made her gemstone shine bright in a pure white color. From it, a spear appeared. The spear was pure white in appearance with a cyan shadow. The handle was white, save for the tail, which had a yellow and blue mark. The tail separated into 3 white prongs. The spear had some parts of the central ridge overlap, creating cyan shadows. The tip was cyan in color, but the body was pure white. Pearl spun the spear and gracefully planted it on the ground near her. A couple of cherry blossoms floated around her. She outstretched her right hand and one petal landed on it.

"Like so." Pearl said in demonstration.

Steven was amazed, but he then had a down casted look. He picked up the petals and tried to find an understanding on Pearl's explanation. Unable to do anything, he left Pearl's room with a disappointed thought.

######

Steven was with Amethyst, Lapis and Azure. They were watching holding the petals with his arms full. By then, he hurled the cherry blossoms petals in the air. Amethyst immediately knew who Steven asked advice for.

"Did Pearl tell you the petal thing?" She asked with a bored expression, eating a donut.

"I'm afraid so, Amethyst. Steven needs some inspiration from you to help summon his weapon. I may have learned from Pearl, but I'm not a good teacher." Azure said.

"Look Steven… All those details from Pearl makes it more boring to try than doing it on your own. When I need to summon my weapon, it happens on its own." Amethyst said with her mouth stuffed.

"Amethyst, try talking without your mouth full…" Azure pouted.

This made Amethyst laugh, seeing Azure's pout. Lapis blushed in seeing his pouting, silently giggling.

"What Amethyst meant to say is, she learned how to summon her weapon by instinct. Give it a go, Amethyst, but don't cause any damage." Azure said.

"Sure." Amethyst responded.

Amethyst summoned her whip from the gemstone on her chest. She cracked the weapon, only to destroy a nearby garbage container.

"See? No effort needed." Amethyst boasted.

"Not to ruin your pride, but we should leave." Lapis said.

"Lapis is right… Let's bail from this place." Azure said.

"Why?" Amethyst asked.

Lars arrived with a bag full of garbage, only to see the container destroyed.

"Again?" He gasped.

"Yeah. That one was totally by accident… Let me fix that up." Azure offered.

"Using his photokinesis, Azure fixed the garbage container with no problem. This relieved Lars upon seeing the special power.

"I take it back about you guys. I should learn what to say before I start talking…" Lars comically said.

######

Steven, Lapis, and Azure were with Garnet, at the top of the Temple Hill. She was trying to explain to him on how to summon his weapon.

"So I have to work really hard and not try at all the same time?" Steven asked.

"Yes." Garnet simply responded, leaving Steven confused.

"Garnet… You and the other Gems have century's worth of experience, but Steven and I are still understanding our powers, despite my constant use." Azure said.

"Point taken… Why not try to align yourself with one of the elements of nature?" Garnet suggested.

"Elements of nature?" Steven asked.

"Look at Lapis and Azure. Both use elemental powers because they think of the element they specialize. Azure is light while Lapis is water. Find what makes you feel strong, Steven." Garnet said.

"I still don't get it." Steven said.

"She's asking you which element do you feel more comfortable with? Fire, water, earth, wind, lightning etc." Azure said.

"Oh… Well, I'm not really sure which one. I'll think about it." Steven replied.

######

Back inside the house, Steven was thinking carefully to try and tap into his Gem powers. He couldn't think of a good theory to help him awaken his gem. Everyone gathered around to help him out.

"Hmmm… I remember how the Gem glowed, but the feeling was there. I can't seem to find what it is." Steven pondered.

"Maybe because the pure emotion you expressed upon eating that ice cream sandwich may have been the key." Azure suggested.

"Of course! That might be the reason why my Gem was glowing." Steven realized.

"Take a bite and try to think of a happy memory." Azure said.

"Will this work, Azure?" Lapis questioned.

"We saw the Gem's glow the first time. We may have a chance to see it glow once more." Azure said.

"Okay then… Steven, listen to what Azure said." Garnet said.

(Play Steven Universe OST - Steven's Shield)

Steven didn't hesitate to chomp on the ice cream sandwich. Immediately, his Gem began to glow brighter than usual. Everyone was surprised till an intricate shield appeared with a familiar pattern.

"That's…!" Pearl said in aghast.

"Rose's Shield…" Azure said in shock.

The other Gems were all shocked in seeing the shield fully summoned.

"He really is Rose's son." Lapis said with a solemn yet proud tone.

Steven took notice of the bright glow and was surprised. He felt proud that he summoned his weapon, albeit subconsciously.

"I got a shield? Oh…YEAH!" Steven said.

Unfortunately, the shield suddenly ejected from his gemstone. It was ricocheting around the house like a bullet. Azure managed to catch the shield by using a sphere of flight before it could damage anything. Amethyst laughed in response, causing Pearl to frown at her.

(Steven's Shield OST ends here)

"Oh… Cookie Cat… I'm able to summon my weapon by eating ice cream!" Steven said.

"Well, not quite… You experienced a powerful emotion that made you summon the shield. The ice cream only caused the emotion to be stronger." Azure explained.

Before Steven could ask any further, a loud rumbling got everyone's attention. They noticed several centipeedles crawling outside from the window.

"Looks we need to save our explanations for later." Azure said, summoning a katana of light.

"He's right. The Queen Centipeedle is here." Garnet said.

"That means we can put an end to this infestation." Lapis said, forming a broadsword of water.

She then flew to Azure's position, ready to fight by his side. Azure smiled, causing his gem to respond to his feelings.

'Aw… Why can't I make my gemstone glow like that?' Steven thought.

By then, Steven had an idea.

"Hang on guys. I'm coming too!" He called out.

Lapis and Azure stood back to back, fighting off the smaller centipeedles, leaving Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl to focus on the queen on the roof. Garnet managed to throw a couple of punches on the creature, only to serve in making it angry.

"Run!" Garnet called out.

Lapis and Azure quickly flew to the air as the queen centipeedle began spitting out streams of acid. The ground was affected by the acidic saliva, creating a small trench.

"That acid is potent… Don't let it touch you!" Azure called out.

"We got it!" Amethyst called out.

The creature noticed Azure and Lapis in the air and began spraying its acidic saliva in the air. Azure quickly made a large sphere of light that protected them.

"Big mistake, you giant bug." Azure said.

He then charged down, encasing himself with light and made a powerful impact on the creature's body, causing it to topple on the ground, leaving it defenseless.

"Man, the body felt hard as a rock…" Azure said, slightly dazed.

The centipeedle then got up and began to spray acid to the Gems. Azure and Lapis managed to avoid the attack by flying, but Garnet, Pearl, and Amethyst were forced to find cover. They hid behind a giant sea rock while the creature began spraying it with acid. It began to slowly dissolve.

"We could use Steven's help right about now…!" Amethyst called out.

"He doesn't know how to use his weapon correctly… We'll need Azure and Lapis for this." Pearl said.

Steven showed up with the Cookie Cat cooler. He hurled a rock to the creature, garnering its attention to him.

"Hey! Leave them alone!" Steven called out.

"Steven, no!" Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl said simultaneously.

Steven ate a full Cookie Cat ice cream sandwich, trying in attempt to summon his weapon. However, nothing happened. This got Steven nervous.

"Why is not working? It worked before." Steven said.

"You still need training, Steven. Leave this to us." Azure said, flying near him.

"I can still try! Let me have a chance!" Steven said, eating more ice cream.

'Oh dear… I don't think that'll help him…' Azure thought.

The centipeedle's mouth almost enclosed to Steven, but Azure got the attack. He held on to the creature's mouth till it sprayed him with acid. Azure reflexively summoned a wall of light to deflect the acid away.

"Talk about a near death experience…" Azure commented.

"We have to combine our powers, Azure. Let's try it." Lapis said.

"Good idea. It'll work." Azure said.

Lapis summoned the water around the area. Azure concentrated on making a spear of light in response. The water was then willed to surround the spear in response, creating a collaboration attack.

"Spear of holy water!" Azure and Lapis said.

The spear was hurled to the queen centipeedle at its mouth. The creature roared before it poofed, leaving behind a spherical emerald gemstone.

"Good job you two. Top notch." Garnet said to Azure and Lapis.

Steven felt left out, due to his inability to summon his shield. Azure noticed and went to him.

"Don't feel so depressed, Steven. We'll help train you to effectively use your shield." Azure comforted.

Steven smiled in response. By then, a loud rumbling noise got Azure's attention. Steven clutched on his stomach, trying to hold back the sound.

'That doesn't sound normal…' Azure thought, feeling a sense of nausea.

Immediately, Steven laughed nervously before he collapsed and started retching.

"Ew…" Azure said with minor disgust.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 5: The threat of the gem shards.

I do not own anything from Steven Universe.

Steven was looking for his pants in a desperate tone. Much to his chagrin, he couldn't find them.

"Where are they? You're such a mess, Steven." He said to himself.

Pearl came by, also looking for something. Lapis and Azure arrived from outside, noticing them looking for something.

"Steven, Pearl… What are you guys looking for?" Azure asked.

"I'm looking for my pants." Steven said.

"I'm looking for something very important." Pearl said.

"What is it, Pearl?" Lapis asked.

"A gem shard… We can't have them roaming around. A gem shard alone has a powerful, but partial consciousness. They have been harvested by Gems throughout our history for various purposes." Pearl said.

Azure briefly flinched from Pearl's explanation. His skin started turning pale in result.

"So the shards can no longer reform, but their consciousness is still there? Eldritch…" Azure commented.

"I have to find that shard… They can possess inanimate objects and use them as a vessel." Pearl said.

"We'll help in finding that shard, Pearl. Hearing that explanation somehow gave me goosebumps…" Azure said with a shiver.

Lapis giggled when she saw Azure shiver.

"One thing I forgot to mention… If a shard continues to possess an object, it can become a monster." Pearl warned.

"Yep… Definitely eldritch…" Azure said.

Steven turned around and noticed his pants were walking on their own. This shocked the boy when he saw it.

"That's unusual!" He shouted.

Azure and Lapis turned to see the pants moving on their own. This freaked Azure out, seeing the pants move on their own.

"W-what the..!? How are those pants moving!?" He exclaimed.

Steven managed to catch them and quickly put them on. The pants were noticeably shaking to try and get off from him.

"Steven, check your pockets. A gem shard might be in one of them…" Lapis said.

Steven began checking his pockets till he found the gem shard hidden within one of them. Upon taking the gem shard out, the pants stopped moving.

"That must be the gem shard that Pearl was looking for. We should find her and give her the shard." Azure said, creating a sphere of light to enclose the shard.

"I think Pearl must have left outside, looking for the missing gem shard. We should find her so we can give it to her." Steven said.

"Let's hurry then." Lapis said.

######

The trio went outside, looking for Pearl. They were in the boardwalk, searching for her.

"I don't think she's here. Let's keep looking." Azure said.

By then, a young boy was screaming frantically. This got the trio on surprise, forcing them to jump back. The boy was flailing about, wearing a mascot suit which appeared to be a smiling pack of French fries. He was clearly in a state of panic. The cause? Several seagulls were nipping the mascot suit.

"I'm not fries!" The boy yelled, scaring the seagulls off with the mascot head.

Azure walked up to the boy, concerned if he was injured. Said boy in question is short in stature and has blond, wavy hair on the top of his head that resembles steak fries. His upper jaw was missing a tooth at the side. The clothing he was wearing consists of a white tank top, cargo shorts, and yellow slip-on sandals.

"You okay there?" He asked.

"Other than tripping down on the board walk, I'm fine." The boy said.

"You gave us quite a scare earlier…" Azure said.

"Sorry, but those blasted seagulls think I'm fries so I often get attacked by them." The boy said.

"I noticed… It sounds rather hard for you to be in that suit…" Azure sympathized.

"Tell me about it…" The boy commented.

"Hey Peedee." Steven said.

"Hey Steven. Is this guy your brother and that girl your sister?" The boy named Peedee asked in regards about Azure and Lapis.

"They do act like one for me, but they're not really my brother and sister." Steven said.

"Ah, I see… It's been nice meeting with you two, Azure and Lapis." Peedee said.

"Likewise, Peedee. Hopefully we could find a way of helping you out." Azure said.

The group then heard a nearby steel door open from a nearby food resort. From it, Peedee's father came out, looking somewhat disappointed in the young boy's disdain of the mascot suit.

"Where's your face, Frybo? Being part of the Fryman family means you got to sell fries... and be my son, which you are. So, you're already halfway there. Keep at it, Frybo!" The man said.

Peedee was about to correct the man, but he just closed the door.

"What a heartless way to ignore you…" Azure commented.

"I'll say… I told my dad that I wanted to be part of the Fryman business. I didn't think I would be stuck in a mascot suit, especially one that is giving me a hard time… Things used to be different, nothing to worry about except making myself dizzy in silly dances on the old seahorse rides in Funland. I guess things got worse for me…" Peedee said, despondent.

Azure began to think of a way to alleviate Peedee's problem with the mascot suit. Reluctant, he decided to wear the costume.

"Why not let me take your place briefly so I can understand what is wrong?" Azure suggested.

"You sure about that, Azure? The seagulls will attack you once you put it on…" Peedee warned.

"I'll take my chances." Azure said.

"Try to be careful, Azure." Lapis said, worried.

"I'll manage it." Azure responded with a smile.

######

Shortly after, Azure was wearing the suit.

"Sure is stuffy in here…" He commented.

By then, a flock of seagulls came by and were aggressively attacking the suit. Azure briefly flailed around before using his power of light.

"Get…OFF ME!" He bellowed.

The seagulls flew off when the light appeared. However, the mascot suit was in a ramshackle state, due to the many areas where the seagulls attacked. Luckily, Azure didn't suffer any injuries.

"I can see how stressful your job is…" Azure commented, sweating from the suit.

"Yeah… Since those seagulls keep attacking me, my job hasn't been going well. Nice light show, by the way…" Peedee said.

"That one was accidental… Tried to scare off the seagulls." Azure said.

Steven began to think of a way to remedy the situation. He then realize the gem shard he had. This made him think of an idea to help free Peedee.

"I have an idea!" Steven said.

"What is it, Steven?" Peedee asked.

"Why don't I place this in the costume?" Steven said, showing the gem shard.

Azure and Lapis suddenly turned paler than their usual color. Although it was a suggestive idea, Pearl's warning about the gem shards made them rethink of Steven's idea.

"I don't think that's such a good idea, Steven…" Azure said, concerned on what he was planning.

"Azure's right, Steven. You should think this out before you do anything." Lapis lectured.

"Come on, you guys. I'm trying to help out Peedee from his job. He looks really stressed with it." Steven begged to them.

Azure sighed in response, relenting on letting Steven use the gem shard.

"But, we'll keep an eye out for Frybo. I don't want anything going awry while it does its purpose." Azure said.

"What is he talking about, Steven?" Peedee said.

"You'll see." Steven said with a smile.

He went to the suit, scaring the seagulls off. Slowly, Steven placed the gem shard in the mascot suit. It began to shake as the gem shard was taking over the suit. The whole suit was magically repaired.

"Whoa…" Peedee said, amazed.

The suit began to roll away on its own. This prompted Steven to command it to stop.

"Stop!" He ordered.

The suit stopped immediately upon hearing the command.

"Unbelievable!" Peedee said, clearly aghast.

"Get up!" Steven ordered.

Azure and Lapis watched the suit obeying the command with curiosity.

"It seems like Steven has got this under control." Lapis said.

"For now… We need to keep watch of the suit." Azure said.

"I agree… Plus, we should take the time to see the beach a little." Lapis said, moving close to Azure.

Azure blushed in response with Lapis. They then heard Steven and Peedee giving it another order.

"Do a little dance!" Steven said.

Azure and Lapis turned to see the suit magically create leg constructs made from fries. This surprised and disgusted the boys as the suit made the legs. It turned to face them and began to do an odd dance. The quartet then heard Peedee's father seeing the suit.

"Whoa-ho, all right! It's about ti- I mean, good job, son! That's what I'm talking about, Frybo, ha ha. Keep it up!" Peedee's father said.

Lapis and Azure looked at the man, obviously surprised on how short sighted he was.

"I can't believe he didn't notice Peedee, especially in broad daylight when he's not in the suit, or behind Steven… Peedee, is your father near-sighted?" Azure asked.

"He is. Anyway, I'm free from the mascot suit! Frybo, you got the job. Let's shake it." Peedee said.

The suit turned to Peedee and began shaking him like a soda can. This made Steven laugh in response, along with Azure and Lapis, both who stifled in laughter.

"Well, talk about a literal joke." Azure said, chuckling.

Peedee was starting to get nauseated by the constant shaking.

"Okay, no more shaking…. Please put me down." Peedee commanded.

The suit let Peedee go. Azure suppressed his laughter, but his red cheeks showed he was straining not to.

"Okay Frybo, go out and dance to make people eat fries." Peedee commanded.

The costume began to dance near the stand. Peedee and Steven began to move away from the area.

"Let's go be kids!" Peedee said, jovial in his freedom.

######

The boys were at Funland, near at an arcade.

"Funland Arcade? You guys will be okay here?" Azure asked.

"We'll be fine. You two can have some fun here." Steven said.

Azure looked around and noticed a crane game. Lapis took note on what he was looking at.

"What are you looking at, Azure?" Lapis asked calmly.

"Oh, I'm looking at the crane game. It's essentially a prize winning game that you earn if you managed to get the hook to grab the prize you want." Azure answered.

"Why don't we try it out?" Lapis asked.

"Sure. Might as well do so." Azure said, smiling.

The couple walked to the crane game. Azure inserted a quarter into the machine and guided the crane to a doll.

"What do you want, Lapis? A dog, a cat, or something else?" Azure asked.

"How about a cat?" Lapis asked.

Azure maneuvered the crane and found a particular cat. He pressed the crane lowering button, causing said crane to descend. The hooks managed to catch the cat doll and it was sent in a small chute.

"All right! I got it!" Azure said, feeling accomplished.

Lapis held on to the cat doll, feeling content.

"Thank you, Azure." Lapis said with a content smile.

######

Lapis and Azure went back with Steven. They all noticed how Peedee looked depressed.

"What's wrong Peedee?" Azure asked.

"I used to enjoy these rides when I was young… Now I don't anymore. I guess after working in a job for a long time, I haven't got much to think about myself." Peedee said.

"That sounds pretty depressing especially for someone your age, Peedee." Azure sympathized.

Peedee looked at Azure for a moment, seeing him looking at the open sea, lost in thought.

"I used to be lonely as an orphan. I never knew my parents, nor do I know where they are. I was alone since no one wanted to speak with me. It was a fateful day that I met Lapis, whom became my first friend. Over time, I met other people that became close to me. Eventually, I was adopted with Steven's family. Peedee, don't forget that you have friends who can support you in case you feel depressed. Try to talk it out with them once in a while to relieve yourself. Also, cherish the feeling of being free. It may not be frequent, but you can enjoy with the time you have." Azure consoled.

Peedee looked at Azure with newfound respect. He never expected to hear such a sad story from Steven's foster brother.

"Thanks Azure. You're a nice older brother for Steven." Peedee said with a somber smile.

Lapis held on to Azure, seeing him talk about his past.

"He's still sensitive about his past… It takes a lot for him to express it to someone close to him." Lapis said.

"I understand, and I'm thankful he trusts me." Peedee said.

The conversation was interrupted by a loud, tormented scream. The quartet were shocked upon hearing the scream.

"That scream…!" Azure said.

"It's coming from the fry stand!" Peedee said.

"We have to go to the stand and find out what is happening…" Steven said.

"I have a bad feeling about this…" Lapis said.

######

The quartet rushed their way to the fry shop, seeing several customers fleeing in terror.

"Something must be happening with Frybo…" Steven said.

Several tentacles came out from a door that leads to the fry stand. They grabbed several customers fleeing from the site, dragging them in the stand.

"I knew things would get chaotic…" Azure said.

"We didn't tell Frybo to do this, did we!?" Peedee asked, completely freaked out.

"No, the gem shard must've took the previous comment you said to make people eat fries." Lapis said.

A large table was hurled out from the stand's window. Azure conjured a shield of light to block the table from hitting him. This made everyone look in the window to see Frybo with several people entangled with its 'hair'.

"What the…!? He's force feeding them fries!" Azure exclaimed.

Frybo's appearance was changed drastically due to the gem shard's influence. Blue and red lines, akin to blood vessels, were spreading on the mascot.

'How disturbing…' Lapis thought, turning pale.

"Frybo! Stop!" Steven ordered.

The mascot stopped force feeding the fries to the customers. It then looked at Steven in response, showing the blood vessel marks on its face, unnerving the group.

"This was what Pearl said in regards about the gem shards… It's becoming rampant…!" Azure said.

The mascot then threw Lars at the group, prompting them to dodge. Lapis caught Lars with a water sphere, saving him from a painful impact. He spat out a mouthful of fries in disgust.

"Ugh… I don't even like fries…" Lars complained, running away.

"He isn't listening! What's wrong with him!?" Peedee asked.

"The gem shard is acting on its own from the owner's lingering thoughts! Whatever happened to the former Gem, it caused it to possess the mascot suit, making it act this way." Azure said.

"Gem? What are you talking about?" Peedee asked.

"You might want to cover your eyes for a moment…" Azure said.

Azure made his body shine with light. Everyone, except Lapis, covered their eyes before they saw Azure, now wearing white clothing akin to white robes. The robes were almost the same from ancient Olympus, but it was long, reaching to Azure's feet. A pair of white wings appeared on his back.

"It's okay now." Azure said.

Steven and Peedee opened their eyes to see Azure, only he looked more angelic.

"Whoa… You turned yourself into an angel?" Peedee asked, clearly surprised.

"Not a true angel… I just use the power of light to make me change into this appearance." Azure said.

By then, Peedee's father suddenly came in.

"What's going on back here? Peedee, where's all this coming from?!" He asked to the mascot.

Frybo ensnared Peedee's father, using its hair. It was forcefully dragging him close to the mascot.

"Ah, I get it, I pushed you too hard. I thought you wanted to be as good a Fryman as you could be, you're a tough kid for putting up with it as long as you did! The truth is, you're a valid member of Fryman Brothers Incorporated and all its affiliates!" Peedee's father said.

Peedee was surprised on what his father said. His moment of surprise ended when Frybo stuffed his father's face with fries.

"Father…!" Peedee said, attempting to rescue him.

"Leave Frybo to us. Just wait outside." Azure said.

"What are you guys going to do?" Peedee asked.

"Our job…" Azure said, summoning an orb of light.

He hurled the orb at the mascot, causing it to stumble. Peedee's father was about to crash on the floor, but Azure quickly created a sphere of light to surround him in. He telekinetically moved the orb of light away from the stand and allowed it to descend slowly, giving Peedee's father a soft landing.

"Thanks for the help, Azure." He said.

"It's not over yet. This mascot will be hard to fight against." Azure said.

He then hurled another orb of light, creating an explosion of light. Nearby, Pearl noticed the explosion and quickly found her way to the group.

"Steven! Did you put the missing shard in that Frybo costume?" Pearl asked.

"He did." Azure confirmed.

"Weren't you listening on what I was explaining to you earlier?" Pearl questioned.

"No…" Steven said.

"Oh Steven…" Pearl exhaled with a hint of disappointment.

She summoned her spear and hurled it at the mascot, piercing its right eye.

"Nice throw, Pearl." Azure said.

By then, the mascot forcefully ejected the spear, causing a torrent of red fluid to spash at Pearl's face. Azure also got soaked from the fluid.

"Yuck… That's disgusting…" Azure said.

He then smelled the fluid on his body.

"This isn't blood… It's ketchup…!? Ugh… Now I'll won't be able to eat ketchup for weeks…" Azure said, shaking the ketchup off from him.

The mascot collapsed from the spear impaling its right eye. Steven noticed several gem shards that Pearl dropped from her bubble.

"I'm going to need their help…" Steven said, taking the shards.

"What?" Pearl asked, trying to find Steven since she was blinded by the ketchup.

Peedee tried to wake his father up, till he noticed Frybo coming to him. He grabbed a nearby plank to try and fight the mascot.

"Go away!" Peedee said, trying to fight the mascot down.

Peedee's father woke up and noticed his son fighting the mascot suit.

"I hate you! You're awful! I always hated you!" Peedee said.

"Peedee, you always hated Frybo?" His father asked him.

This distracted Peedee, allowing the mascot to ensnare the plank he was using and pry it off from him, throwing Peedee to his father.

The mascot made its way close to them, till a spear of light suddenly flew, impaling its side.

"Stay where you are, you bag of fries!" Azure said.

Azure? That was you?" Peedee's father asked.

"Not just me. I got some help." Azure said, channeling light around him.

From Azure, several formations began to form till they became complete replicas of him, despite being a recolor. They all channeled their power of light on their palms to fight the nightmarish Frybo.

"You first, Frybo." Azure taunted.

The mascot dashed at Azure, intending on attacking him. Azure looked at his clones, ready to fight alongside them.

"Let's go, everyone! ATTACK!" Azure ordered.

A battle cry was heard from the clones as they charged at the mascot. One of them managed to punch Frybo on the abdomen, causing it to puke cheese.

"Eww…" Lapis commented with disgust.

One of the clones then charged a light spear and impaled the mascot, causing it to spray ketchup on the clone. It disappeared in light, leaving the gem shard behind.

"Thanks for your help, gem shard…" Azure said.

He then focused on trying to find the shard that possessed Frybo, only to be knocked away from it.

"Now you really crossed the line… Steven, I need your help in this one, brother." Azure said.

"What do you want me to do?" Steven questioned.

"I want you to get that shard out of Frybo. I'll distract him with the clones while you find the shard and pull it out." Azure explained.

"How can I help?" Lapis asked.

"Provide a shield of water for Steven. He'll need something to protect himself with." Azure said.

Lapis manipulated the water, creating an outline of a barrier. Steven was surprised to see the barrier of water surround him, allowing him to breathe.

"Let's go, brother!" Azure said.

He and his clones charged at the mascot, holding it down on all of his limbs and 'hair'. This gave Steven the chance to find the gem shard in the suit. He found it, surrounded in a sticky stream of cheese.

"There it is!" Steven said.

"Pull it out, quickly! I don't know how long I can hold Frybo back…!" Azure grunted.

Steven quickly grabbed the shard and attempted to pull it out. The cheese was real sticky, creating a struggle for the young boy to pull the shard out. Eventually, Steven pulled the shard free from Frybo, rendering the mascot inert.

"We did it!" Steven said cheerfully.

"Well done, Steven. That was awesome." Azure said proudly.

They then noticed Pearl, struggling to find Steven while blinded.

"Lapis, can you help Pearl's brief blindness please? She might end up hitting herself on a metal pole…" Azure said in concern.

Lapis nodded and commanded the water to wash Pearl's face. She felt the water wash off the ketchup till her sight was restored. She looked around to see Azure with several recolored clones near him.

"Azure! What were you doing with those gem shards!?" Pearl questioned in shock.

"I needed a little backup to remove that rogue shard off from Frybo… Alright you guys. It was fun, but I must act that you surrender your shards to me please." Azure asked.

The clones provided their individual gem shards back to Azure before disappearing in a flash of light. Pearl noticed how the gem shards were obeying his command, giving the shards to him.

"Well, this changes everything I need to know about gem shards… How were you able to command them so well?" Pearl asked.

"They were exposed in my aura of light minutes ago. It was plenty of time for them to act obediently." Azure said.

"Oh. Well, good thinking on your part. Plus, you trusted Steven to take down that Frybo costume." Pearl said, clearly impressed.

######

Sometime later, it was night. The quintet helped Peedee's father fix up the damage caused by Frybo's rogue behavior. The mascot was sent on a boat. Peedee's father was downhearted, seeing the mascot being sent away in this fashion.

"You were great, Frybo. The kids today just didn't understand. Now, they never will." He said.

He then lighted the mascot on fire with a match.

"Weren't people scared of it before he attacked them?" Pearl whispered.

"Pearl, that's rather insensitive for you to say that." Azure said with a surprised tone.

"Forgive me, I shouldn't have asked." Pearl said.

Peedee's father approached the boat, not liking what he was about to do.

"It's time…to send him off to sea." He said.

Peedee's father began to push the boat out into sea, leaving the mascot to be burned into ash. Everyone watched as the boat floated away in the horizon, till only the flame was visible from a distance.

"As greasy in death as he was in life." Peedee's father said, offering a silent prayer.

'Well… That's quite a way to make a modern Viking funeral.' Azure thought.

"I'd say it was a nightmare…" Lapis said.

"I agree. I hope he doesn't haunt us in our dreams…" Azure said.

Pearl noticed Lapis holding a cat doll in her arms. This got her curious, seeing the doll.

"Hey Lapis, where did you get that doll from?" Pearl asked curiously.

"Oh, Azure gave it to me from a game in the arcade." Lapis said with a content smile.

Pearl felt inwardly jealous, seeing Lapis act so content with Azure's presence. She noticed how the water manipulating gem was walking up to him.

'They have been getting a little too close lately… I feel jealous for them being so happy with each other…' Pearl thought with a pout.

That's all from here. Any questions or comments, send a review.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 6: Learning Shapeshift and consequences.

I do not own anything from Steven Universe.

Azure was visibly tired. In spite of his usage to command the gem shards a week ago, he exerted a lot of energy just to command the clones to defeat Frybo.

"You okay, brother?" Steven asked.

"I'll be fine. I used a great deal of energy to make those clones obey my command, not to mention creating them." Azure said tiredly.

Lapis came to Azure to check up on him.

"How are you feeling, Azure?" She asked.

"I'm recovering. I'll be able to start training tomorrow." Azure said.

Garnet came by, also wanting to check on him.

"You did your best with Steven to stop the gem shard from overtaking that mascot suit. However, you still need to train your Gem powers. I understand that you overexerted yourself when you commanded those gem shards that Pearl had. That alone is impressive, especially with how much energy it took from you." Garnet said.

"Thanks for the compliment, Garnet. I won't be training today since I'm too exhausted, despite the fact the incident happened a few days ago." Azure reassured.

"It's probably due to the fact the shards were trying to find a way to get back together. I couldn't imagine how much of your light powers were used up to try and make them cooperate." Garnet said.

Azure chuckled in response before he fell back asleep. Lapis, seeing that he fell asleep, went close to him, warming him. Garnet smiled in what she was seeing.

'Lapis has been becoming more open with him. You two will fuse one day.' She thought with a smile.

Steven briefly watched before covering his eyes with his hands. He blushed, seeing Lapis moving close to Azure.

"Let's give them their space. They have been through a tough battle." Garnet said.

Suddenly, Pearl came by, till she saw Garnet and Steven leaving the room.

"Leave them alone, Pearl. They'll be fine." Garnet said.

Pearl reluctantly complied, but caught a glimpse of Lapis staying close to Azure on the bed. She blushed light blue in response.

######

The next day, Azure woke up. He noticed Lapis sleeping next to him, causing his face to blush red. She was sleeping with a cute expression.

'She must have slept with me, worried for my sake.' Azure thought.

He gently nudged Lapis to wake her up. She then woke up and noticed Azure awake with a smile.

"Good morning, Lapis." He said.

Lapis immediately went wide eyed and hugged Azure in response.

"Azure, thank goodness you're back." She said in relief.

"I also feel great, Lapis." Azure said, feeling energetic.

Lapis giggled in response when Azure stretched his limbs from sleep. He noticed Steven was not in the house.

"I wonder where Steven went." Azure said.

"He went back to meet with Mr. Universe to help him wash a car." Lapis said.

"We should help him out, Lapis. But first, we need to inform the Gems where we'll be going to." Azure said.

They noticed Peal and Garnet were in the house, but Amethyst was nowhere to be found.

"Hey Garnet, Pearl. We'll be heading out in town to meet with Steven's Father." Azure said.

"Okay, you two. Hope you guys also look for Amethyst. She occasionally sneaks out of the place for her own fun." Pearl said.

"Leave that to us. We'll find her." Lapis said.

The couple summoned their wings and flew off to meet with Greg and Steven.

######

The couple made their way and noticed what appeared to be an advertisement van with the words 'Re-elect Mayor Dewey'. Greg and Steven were cleaning the van.

"Almost done. Steven, get the hubcap." Greg said to his son.

"Got it!" Steven said excitedly.

Steven was cleaning the hubcaps of the van's tires. The couple flew down and noticed them cleaning the van. Greg and Steven noticed them arriving from the sky.

"Oh, hey Azure and Lapis." Greg greeted.

"Good day to you, Mr. Universe." The couple said in synch.

"Hey guys." Steven said, excited.

"You guys are washing a car for the mayor?" Azure asked.

"He asked us to do so. This is the current job that I do." Greg said.

"Wow… So you wash cars as part of your job… Nice." Azure complimented.

"Thanks, Azure. I don't mind having a few extra hands here to help clean this van. Mind if you guys help out?" Greg asked.

"We can help. I'm sure it also provides some form of fun." Lapis said.

Azure also nodded in response. Steven then thought of an idea to help clean the van out.

"Hey Lapis, Azure. Why don't you guys use your gem powers to help make the van streaky clean?" He said.

"I like the idea, but we don't want to do anything too fancy that'll scare everyone. We can only offer a mediocre of our powers to do so." Azure said.

"I agree with Azure. We can use a minimal of our powers to help clean this vehicle." Lapis said.

Azure channeled a faint aura of light while Lapis channeled water from the hose in small streams. From Lapis, a small steady stream began to cover the van in a thin layer of water. The water didn't go inside thanks to her hydrokinesis.

"Now the best part. Watch this, Mr. Universe." Azure said.

Greg felt somewhat nervous to see the whole ordeal, but he knew that Azure was willing to help. Using his light powers, Azure channeled light into the water.

"Light of purification!" He said.

The water shined in a myriad of colors like a prism. It felt oddly comfortable upon sight of the purifying water on the van. Lapis commanded the water to move off. Upon doing so, the van was so shiny, it was reflecting light.

"Wow that worked so well... You're getting the hang of your new Gem powers." Steven said.

Greg was nervous, but seeing the light powers from Azure made him feel comfortable enough to talk with him.

"Hey Azure. I wonder… How does it feel for you to channel light like that?" Greg asked.

"Oh, my powers tends to be rather comforting for some reason. Whenever I channel it, it makes me want to protect something or make it look presentable." Azure answered.

"Oh, I see. Well, I'd say light does suit you well. Plus, that cleaning job we were doing was a high profile job for the mayor. It may end up giving us political favors." Greg said.

Azure chuckled from Greg's response. Lapis came by, allowing Greg to talk with her.

"Say Lapis, I was wondering about your hydrokinesis as well." He said.

"For me, I just simply will the water to move. I can even turn it into ice to make intricate shapes or statues." Lapis said.

"Wow. You must really like art." Greg said.

Lapis giggled in response. By then, Steven decided to play around with the water hose. He ended up aiming the water hose at Greg, surprising him. He laughed and aimed his hose at Steven. Father and son were playing with their hoses, spraying each other with water. Lapis and Azure watched, chuckling from seeing a father playing with his son.

"Those two are essentially what a family does with each other." Azure said.

"A family?" Lapis asked.

"Rose and Greg were in love when they first saw each other. This resulted in Steven being born out of their feelings." Azure said.

"Oh…" Lapis said, blushing.

Azure noticed Lapis blushing and was mildly concerned for her.

"Hey Lapis, your face is turning a bit dark blue. Are you okay?" Azure asked.

Lapis noticed Azure's concern for her. She attempted to dissuade him from looking at her.

"I'm okay, Azure. It's nothing." She said, trying to remain calm.

Azure looked at her for a few seconds till he accepted the answer. He then noticed some of the water from Greg's and Steven's playful water fight was about to splash to him. He created a wall of light to stop the water.

"Hey, don't let me join the fray." Azure jokingly said.

Steven and Greg laughed in response. They continued splashing each other with water. Steven accidentally let the hose spray at Lapis, who immediately stopped the stream with her hydrokinesis.

"Nice reaction time, Lapis." Azure said.

Lapis blushed with a giggle when she heard Azure compliment her. By then, a man suddenly walked in. He was wearing a business suit, consisting of a light violet-gray coat with a beige collared shirt underneath, a dark violet neck tie, gray-brown pants, black socks, chocolate-brown shoes with black shoelaces and dark violet stripes. The man was balding with his hair being dark brown and his skin was coral in color.

"Hey, hey, hey. I'm not paying for father and son bonding." The man said.

"Oh sorry, Mayor Dewey. We just finished cleaning the van a few minutes ago." Greg said.

Lapis and Azure took note of the man while hiding away from him. Azure immediately recognize him from a glance.

"That's Bill Dewey, the man who keeps an eye out for the citizens in Beach City." Azure said in surprise.

"Is he important?" Lapis asked.

"He is. He's the reason Beach City was peaceful." Azure said.

Steven stopped using his hose to spray on his father. Seeing how his father was interacting with Bill, he remained calm.

"Ah, you have made an exceptional job in cleaning my van. I never seen it shine like this since I first afforded it. As promised, here's my payment for requesting this cleanup." Bill said.

Greg was surprised to be provided with several hundred dollars from the mayor. Azure couldn't hold it in as he was about to burst out laughing.

"I would also like to provide political favors as well." Bill said.

This got Greg in surprise as he heard what the mayor said. Before he had a chance to speak to the mayor, Bill got on his van and began driving out, advertising his campaign.

"Well, that was surprising today." Greg said.

Lapis noticed Azure was struggling to hold his laughter at bay. He eventually collapsed, laughing.

"What's so funny, Azure?" Lapis asked.

Steven and Greg heard the laughter and went to see Azure laughing uncontrollably.

"Why is he laughing like that?" Greg asked.

"Mayor Dewey probably thought you were the one who cleaned up the van. Azure and I were the ones who cleaned it up." Lapis said.

Greg and Steven realized why Azure was laughing so hard. They all chuckled in response. After 5 minutes of laughter, everyone was able to regain control from laughing, albeit being out of breath.

"Whew… That was quite a laugh there." Azure said.

By then, a spray of water got everyone's attention. They were forced back from the force of the hose. When Azure turned around to see who was spraying water, he noticed a cat colored in lilac, holding the water hose on its mouth. Lapis also noticed and immediately knew who it was, seeing the familiar purple gem stone on the cat's sternum.

"Amethyst… You're playing pranks so suddenly like this?" Lapis asked.

The cat shapeshifted back to Amethyst, still holding the hose in her mouth.

"Haha! Got you guys!" She teased.

"Very funny, Amethyst. Plus, it was a good way for us to cool off. Summer is on its way here in Beach City." Azure said.

Lapis giggled, hearing Azure from what he said. Steven and Greg noticed Amethyst immediately.

"Amethyst, you can shapeshift?" Steven said with excitement.

"Of course I can. I can turn myself into almost anything." Amethyst said.

"You know, that could come in handy." Azure said.

"Well, magic stuff. Should I get out of here since there's going to be an explosion?" Greg asked.

"I don't think shapeshifting causes explosions…" Azure reassured.

"How so?" Greg asked.

"It just alters one's appearance. I can't shapeshift yet, but I prefer to stay as myself." Azure said.

"Aw, come one Azure. It's no big deal." Steven said.

"Yeah, dad. It's fun…" Amethyst said, shapeshifting into Steven.

"I rest my case in staying who I am…" Azure said with a deadpan.

Greg chuckled in response, though he was nervous of the activities of the gems. Hearing from Azure on staying in his original appearance made him more reassuring.

"We'll talk about this with Pearl. I have a feeling she knows more about it." Azure said to Steven.

######

Steven, Amethyst, Azure and Lapis arrived back in the house near the temple. Pearl was reading a book at the kitchen table. Amethyst decided to play around with her shapeshifting.

"Hey Pearl…" Amethyst said, getting Pearl's attention.

Immediately, Pearl looked in time to see Amethyst shapeshift into a seal. Steven was laughing in response, seeing the shapeshift in action. Azure and Lapis failed to see the humor while Pearl looked cross from being interrupted from Amethyst's playful attitude.

"Do more!" Steven said.

Amethyst shapeshifted into a wolf and howled like one. She then turned into a small kingfisher. Pearl just kept staring at Amethyst with a bored expression. Azure decided to take a bottle of water to have a drink.

"Amethyst, you're overdoing your shapeshifting…" Pearl said.

"Uh… Chill it, dude." Amethyst said in a high-pitch voice.

Immediately, Azure spat water out from his mouth, trying hard not to laugh but failed. He sprayed himself with water.

"Just because you can shapeshift, doesn't mean you should." Pearl lectured.

"So you can shapeshift as well, Pearl?" Steven asked.

"Well, of course…" Pearl said.

However, she was interrupted by Amethyst shapeshifting into Pearl.

"Well, of course I can. I'm perfect. Whop! Whop!" Amethyst said, hitting herself on the butt.

Again, Azure spat out his drink from laughter in response. Pearl noticed he couldn't stop laughing from Amethyst's joking. She groaned in slight anger, seeing that Amethyst making Azure laugh while drinking water was wetting the floor. She pushed Amethyst away while she laughed.

"All Gems have the ability to shapeshift, Steven. It's not limited to altering one's appearance. We can change ourselves into objects, or even change parts of our bodies." Pearl explained, showing a brief presentation via her gemstone.

"It sounds like a useful ability for espionage." Azure said.

"What do you mean?" Steven asked.

"Basically, spying on the enemy." Azure briefly explained.

"Nice thinking of that, Azure." Pearl complimented.

"I want to try to shapeshift." Steven said.

"It's not easy as it looks. Don't try to bite off more than you can chew, Steven. I also know that you never shapeshift, Azure." Pearl said.

"Good choice of words there, Pearl." Azure said.

"For once, Pearl's right… You may want to learn how to control your Gem powers first before you learn to shapeshift." Amethyst lectured.

"How about that cat you turned into?" Steven suggested.

"That sounds like a good idea to practice." Amethyst agreed.

Lapis noted on how to shapeshift, thanks to Pearl's explanation. She decided to alter her hair appearance. She began to think carefully on how to make her hair long. Eventually, her hair grew to waist length. Azure looked around to see Lapis with her hair longer. He couldn't say anything nor move. A red blush dusted his face and ears.

"Are you okay, Azure? Your face is turning red." Lapis said.

"I-I'm fine… I was shocked by how you looked in that hairstyle. It looks really nice in your appearance." Azure said, making Lapis blush.

Both of them blushed in response. Amethyst and Steven noticed them starting to lock hands, blushing in response.

"I can see that Lapis wanted to make herself beautiful for you, Azure." Amethyst teased.

Reflexively, Azure created a cage of light to trap Amethyst in.

"Don't push it, Amethyst…" Azure said.

######

Sometime later, Amethyst was released from her cage. She decided to teach Steven how to shapeshift.

"Try to visualize the object, person, or animal you want to be. Then, just shake it out." Amethyst said, shapeshifting into a cat.

"Okay." Steven said.

Steven attempted to shapeshift, but he was focusing too hard. His body was tensing from forcing himself to transform.

"That's not how it works, Steven. You're being tense, man." Amethyst lectured.

"I'm trying, but it seems pretty hard." Steven said.

"Try to remain calm first, then think about being a cat." Amethyst explained.

Steven began to do a strange dance, shaking his arms in a wave pattern. He then posed with his arms stretched out.

"Nice try, Steven…" Amethyst said.

A 'meow' was heard, surprising everyone. Steven noticed his right index finger was different. It became a cat!

"Whoa… You shapeshifted your finger into a cat…" Azure said.

"This is so cool!" Steven said, seeing the cat.

"You should go show your dad. He'll freak out when he sees this." Amethyst said with excitement.

The cat meowed in agreement. Azure was surprised to see the cat acting as a replacement for Steven's finger. Lapis felt a mild chill up her spine, seeing another creature on Steven's body.

"I have a bad feeling about this…" Lapis said, worried.

"I agree… It may look small, but I have a feeling it may get worse…" Azure agreed.

######

Steven arrived at Greg's place, who was simply resting outside, taking in the sun's rays. Azure and Lapis decided to stay out of sight to watch Steven in case his shape-shifting goes awry.

"Hey dad!" Steven called out, covering his cat finger.

"Hey Shtoo-ball." Greg said.

"Check it out!" Steven said, showing the cat.

Greg freaked out in response, leaning too far back on the chair, causing him to topple on the ground. He hurled his water bottle up in the air during his descent. The water touched the cat, causing it to groan.

"I shape-shifted my finger into a cat." Steven said.

"Whoa! Ho-ho. Is that what you can do now?

"Of course I can. Pearl told me that all Gems can do this. I thought if all regular Gems can do it, why don't I try it for myself?" Steven said.

"That does look pretty cool." Greg asked.

"I know, right? I'm going to take this show on the road." Steven said.

Nearby, Azure stifled not to laugh as he saw Greg tumble on the ground from seeing the cat finger. He failed to do so, clutching his stomach while laughing silently.

"Okay, that one made me laugh real well." Azure said, still chuckling.

"Aside from your laughing, we need to watch Steven… He's heading into the Big Donut." Lapis said.

This made Azure cease his laughter.

"Let's hurry then. I hope he doesn't overdo his shape-shifting." Azure said.

######

Steven was at Big Donut, ordering a snack.

"That'll be $1.05, Steven." Sadie said.

"Okay, here's a nickel." Steven said, providing a nickel from his left hand.

"And a buck." He continued, using his cat finger to hold the dollar bill.

Sadie and Lars were shocked to see the cat finger providing the dollar bill to him.

"WHAAAATTTT!?" They both said in shock.

Outside, Azure stifled to laugh, but Lapis giggled, seeing their reactions.

"Amethyst sure knows how to make her sense of humor spread… Now I'm starting to see how funny it looks." Lapis said.

Inside, Lars and Sadie took a close look to the cat finger. They were still surprised to see it up close. It meowed in response.

"Oh Steven. That's so adorable." Sadie said, giving gentle the cat finger a gentle rub.

The cat finger was purring loudly from being rubbed on the head. This got Sadie curious of the cat finger, thinking it was a ventriloquist trick.

"Are…you making it purr?" Sadie asked, uncertain.

"No, it was all the cat doing that. For some reason, it does what it wants…" Steven said.

"Oh really?" Lars said, clearly not liking it.

He shoved his right index finger on the cat in a rough manner, causing the cat finger to retaliate by biting it. Lars recoiled from the bite in pain.

"Ow!" He exclaimed.

Steven looked at the cat finger with some concern. It was showing an angered expression.

"See what I mean? Bad cat finger!" Steven said, berating the cat.

"Aww… I'm sure it just wants to play." Sadie said.

Steven then realized the cat was lonely.

"You're right. Maybe I can shape-shift my fingers so it won't be lonely. I didn't noticed that it had no friends." Steven said jovially.

Azure and Lapis decided to walk in.

"Oh my gosh. It's just like you, Steven." Lars said sarcastically.

"Can it, Lars…" Azure said, walking near to Steven.

"Hey Azure. Watch this!" Steven said.

He began to calm himself and perform the strange dance. His fingers on his right hand turned into cats.

"Whoa… That's a little excessive there, Steven…" Azure said.

"It's okay. I got it." Steven reassured.

Sadie and Lars were surprised, seeing the shape-shifting. Immediately, Azure took a photo of the couple with their dumbfounded expressions. This got their attention when they heard the strobe from the camera.

"Let's just say that you two make a nice couple, especially with those funny expressions." Azure laughed.

######

Steven then went to the boardwalk to meet with Peedee. Azure and Lapis followed the boy to watch over him.

"Hey Peedee!" Steven said.

The boy in question was at the booth. He was happy to see his friends.

"Wow, you working in the fry shop's deep fryer with your father's company? That's cool!" Steven said.

"I agree with what Steven said. That's quite an improvement since last week's incident." Azure said.

"Tell me about it. What can I get you two?" Peedee asked.

"Oh, I'm not hungry. Steven, on the other hand, might be." Azure said.

"Just some fry bits, please." Steven said.

Peedee gave a slight frown in response.

"Steven… I take my job seriously so please use the menu…" He said.

"Fry bits! Fry bits Fry bits!" Steven repeated.

Peedee's father showed up, providing Steven some fry bits.

"Better to listen to him and give him what he wants. It's the only way for him to stop demanding…" He said.

"How much is the price for the fry bits?" Azure asked.

"They're free." Peedee said.

"I insist on paying. It makes me feel bad to not paying you guys for the fries you make." Azure responded.

"Okay then. The price is $2:25." Peedee said.

Azure paid the meal for Steven. However, the boy quickly stopped Azure in providing the fry bits for him.

"It's not for me though. It's for my friends." Steven said, showing his right hand having cat fingers.

Peedee and his father were shocked in seeing the cat fingers munching on the bits. This made Azure comically think of the cats.

'Do they have digestive organs for Steven to obtain nutrients from them…?' He thought in question.

"I can't take my eyes off from this sight…" Peedee's father replied, dumbfounded.

"Steven, that's rather freakish to show…" Peedee said, matching his father's face.

"Oh no, it isn't for me. It just feel natural." Steven said, making his left hand's fingers turn into more cats.

"Steven, you're doing that shape-shifting business a little too ahead. Please stop doing that, since it's starting to make me worry about you…" Azure said.

"Azure's right, Steven. You're doing this too quickly…" Lapis agreed.

Peedee's father decided to break the tension by speaking.

"I think I know who would love to see this… Your older brother, Ronaldo, would like to see this." He said.

Nearby, an older boy was shown holding boxes. He was moderately tall, has a thick build, and complexion similar to that of Steven's skin. His hair looked like curly french fries in appearance. He was wearing an apron. Underneath this, he was wearing a burgundy collared shirt with orange and yellow flames covered by his apron, that he leaves untucked and tan cargo shorts that reach his knees. Azure noted he was wearing glasses and wrap-around sandals.

"What up, you two?" The older boy asked.

"See for yourself, Ronaldo." The father said.

Ronaldo gasped, seeing Steven's cat fingers. He then quickly moved close to see them up front.

"I gotta take a pic for my blog, 'Keep Beach City weird'." Ronaldo said, clearly in surprise.

He then took a photo of the cat fingers.

"What's a blog?" Steven asked.

"It's a website, usually created by a person to represent a topic he or she wants to make." Azure explained.

######

Sundown came by, making the trio return home. Steven was trying to get a sandwich for himself. The cat fingers meowed loudly due to the pressure he was making to them.

"Sorry! I need to have my sandwich…" Steven apologized.

Amethyst came by to inform Steven.

"Yo Steven. We'll be heading out on a mission. Garnet told me to inform you about it." Amethyst said.

"A mission? I want to go!" Steven said.

Azure and Lapis gave a dumbfounded expression from where Amethyst was.

'Didn't she noticed the cat fingers or heard them for that matter?' They questioned in thought.

######

Steven was racing his way to meet with Garnet, Pearl and Amethyst. He noticed them setting off on a boat. His hands got too close to the sea water, making the cat fingers yowl in protest. When he raised his hands, they were shocked to see them with cat fingers.

"Steven! What did you do!?" Pearl exclaimed.

"I… I turned my fingers into cats! I don't know how to stop it!" Steven answered, showing some distress.

Amethyst quietly chuckled while Pearl showed great concern for Steven.

"We have to help him with his shape-shifting… It could get out of control!" Pearl said to Garnet.

"We can't… This mission is important. Azure, Lapis… See if you can find a way to help him get his fingers back to normal." Garnet ordered.

Pearl and Amethyst were reluctant, but they trusted Lapis and Azure to help Steven out.

######

Steven was trying to find a way to change his fingers back to normal. Azure decided to help him out.

"Steven, don't think about the cats. Just try to think of yourself with your own fingers." Azure said.

"Okay. I'll try." Steven said.

He placed his left hand on his forehead, only to hear a meowing sound. The left section of his forehead turned into a cat!

"That's not working right… Steven, think hard on making them disappear!" Azure said.

Steven immediately spun around and landed on his right hand. Lapis came back from outside to witness his entire hand turned into a cat, shocking her.

"Steven! Your shape-shifting abilities are going out of control!" Lapis said with fright.

"Help me stop them! They're taking over my body!" Steven panicked.

Soon, several sections of Steven began turning into cats. This scared Azure and Lapis, fearing that the young son of Rose Quartz was losing control.

"Guys! Take me to my dad! Maybe he can help me regain control!" Steven said, trying to speak through the amalgamation of cats.

Reluctant, Azure and Lapis decided to bring Steven to Greg.

######

It was near nighttime. Greg was washing his van, unaware of Azure and Lapis holding Steven, now a blob of cats in one body.

"Is someone there?" Greg asked, hearing the strange noise.

Azure and Lapis came into view. Both were barely restraining their anxiety.

"Mr. Universe, we have a serious problem and it concerns with your son…" Azure reluctantly said.

"What happened with Steven? Is he alright?" Greg asked, not liking how they looked stressed up.

They looked to the shadows to see a walking mass of cats, forcing him to hose it down. The cats reacted negatively from being wet. Steven's voice was heard struggling through them.

"Is that…Steven!? What happened to him!?" Greg asked frantically.

"Dad! I was trying to understand how to shape-shift, but now my body is being taken over by cats! Help me stop them!" Steven begged.

"Hold on! I'll get you out of there!" Greg said, trying to get the cats off from Steven.

However, they ended up biting his hands in response. Greg recoiled in pain, feeling helpless to save his son.

"Couldn't he make them go away!?" He asked.

"Steven tried, but they just multiplied!" Azure said.

Azure then recalled seeing the cat fingers getting distressed from water. Luckily, Steven also thought of the same thing.

"Dad! Spray me with your hose! The cats hate the water!" Steven said.

Greg wasted no time and hosed Steven with water. The cats began to recede, but they were angered from being exposed to water.

"Azure, Lapis, help me out here!" Steven requested.

"We're on it!" Azure said, spraying another hose of water, allowing Lapis to make a big blob of water.

Lapis held the blob and dropped it on Steven, drenching the cats. Steven was able to regain control, having his body now turned back to normal.

"Steven, are you alright?" Greg asked in concern.

"I'm okay. I don't have any more cats on me." Steven replied.

A soft meow was heard and Steven examined his right index finger. There was only one cat, causing Azure to splash it with water, making it disappear.

"I'll NEVER look at cats the same way again…" Azure shivered.

######

The next day, Garnet, Pearl, and Amethyst arrived and noticed Steven at the port. Pearl quickly rushed to him to check if he was his usual appearance.

"Steven, I hope you learned your lesson here." Pearl lectured.

Azure quickly placed his left hand on Pearl's shoulder, shaking his head. He was telling her to not explain any further.

"It's alright, guys. I managed to get myself back to normal. If it weren't for Lapis and Azure, it would have been a CATastrophe…" Steven said, stressing the first syllable.

Azure made a face palm while the other Gems just stared at him with a poker face.

"Get it? I had cats on me and I'm glad this purroblem is gone." Steven said.

The Gems walked off as Steven continued with his cheesy cat puns, obviously annoyed. Azure walked up to him and placed his right hand on his head.

"Steven, no more cat puns please… It was a nightmare yesterday…" Azure said before flying up to the monument of the temple.

######

Azure was watching the sunset view, taking his mind off from the cat finger incident.

'Yeah… Shape-shifting is not good if it is used like a toy…" He thought comically.

Lapis showed up, holding her cat doll near her. She sat down near him. When Azure saw the cat doll, he immediately freaked out, standing up from where he sat, only to trip and fall on the ground. This made Lapis giggle, seeing him panicked in a comical way.

"Someone's scared of a doll…" Lapis teased with a laugh.

Azure grumbled, embarrassed from being scared by a doll.

"Please don't do that… I barely got enough sleep after seeing cats on Steven's body…" Azure said.

Lapis then leaned on Azure's right shoulder. She remained with him, feeling content.

"I'm sorry, but I wanted to stay close to you." Lapis said to Azure.

Azure then smiled, holding her hand.

That's all from here. More to come.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 7: Rose's signature. Feelings now unbound.

I do not own anything from Steven Universe.

Azure was with Steven and Amethyst. He left Lapis with Pearl and Garnet back in the Gem Temple.

"So, what are you planning to get here, Steven?" Azure asked.

"Fry bits!" Steven immediately responded.

Azure held back his chuckle the moment he heard Steven mention his favorite food. They went their way to Beach Citywalk Fries.

"Hey Steven." Peedee's father said.

"Hi Mr. Fryman. I would like to order fry bits please." Steven said.

"Alright. They'll be coming up right away." Peedee's father replied.

Soon, he gave a small tray of fry bits to Steven. Amethyst and Steven began eating the fries till something caught their eyes in the sky.

"What is that…?" Steven asked.

Amethyst immediately recognized what it was and had a shocked expression. Seeing her face, Azure deduced it may be a serious threat. Amethyst held Steven as she took off back to the Gem Temple. Azure summoned his wings of light to fly back.

Back at the temple, Pearl, Garnet, and Lapis were observing the sky through a telescope. Azure arrived before Amethyst and Steven. Lapis quickly went to him, feeling nervous of the situation.

"Guys, you saw that thing in the sky?" He asked.

"Yeah, and it seems that it will impact here in Beach City." Garnet said calmly.

By then, Amethyst and Steven arrived.

"We get it, you two. We saw that comet coming here." Pearl said.

"I don't think that's a comet… It's huge…!" Azure said.

Pearl then looked at the telescope to see the 'comet; approaching Earth. This made her move back in shock of what she saw. Azure took the chance to see an off-white/red sphere making its way to Earth. The sphere suddenly opened up, making itself appear as a giant, red eyeball. It has a light orange hexagonal iris with a red-orange, aperture-like "pupil" of the same shape.

"What the!? A red eye!?" Azure said in shock.

"That's a Red Eye. It's going to crash here in Beach City, which will hurt everyone here or worse…" Pearl said, leaving her last choice open for suggestion.

Azure and Steven paled in thought. They didn't like how it was going to lead.

"We have to stop that thing… But how though? It looks really tough to destroy…" Azure said.

"There's a way. Rose Quartz used to own a light cannon capable of powerful attacks. Only problem is, we don't know where the cannon is." Garnet said.

Azure comically fell on the ground face first.

"Hold on a minute… If Rose was with Greg, she most likely stashed it with him. I'll bet he may have the cannon." Azure said.

"It's a nice suggestion, Azure. However, we're not sure if Rose really entrusted him with the weapon." Pearl doubted.

"Then how can we destroy the Red Eye on our own? Time is running out and we can't think of an alternate plan at the moment." Azure said.

"We'll try to stall the eye. Azure, Lapis, Steven, go to Greg and ask him if he has the light cannon from Rose." Garnet said.

Garnet then held Amethyst on her right arm.

"You ready for this?" She asked.

"I'm ready." Amethyst said.

Garnet jumped up several meters in the air before hammer throwing Amethyst to the Red Eye. Despite gaining enough velocity to breach through the atmosphere. It only caused a dull impact sound to echo from the sky.

"It should buy some time, but we need to hurry. It's getting close…" Azure said, summoning his wings of light.

He then held Steven before taking off. Lapis followed along, using her wings of water.

The trio arrived at Greg's van. Steven went to the van and began to knock on it.

"Dad! Wake up! We need to save the world!" Steven called out.

The van's car alarm rang out, springing Greg into action.

"Who's there!?" Greg said, holding a handheld waffle maker.

He then noticed Azure and Lapis, looking at Steven near the van.

"Oh hey Steven. What are you doing up so late?" Greg asked.

'The sun just set about an hour ago… Wait, why am I thinking of something trivial at a time like this!?' Azure thought.

"That's not important right now, Mr. Universe. Look over in the sky." Lapis said, pointing to where the Red Eye is.

Greg freaked out upon seeing the Red Eye. He saw Amethyst being hurled at the floating eye, impacting it before falling into the sea.

"We need your help to find Mom's light cannon so we can destroy it." Steven said.

"Wait, is that a magical thing? The Gems told me that I don't have to get involved in anything like this. It could be dangerous." Greg said.

"Mr. Universe, we need that cannon to save Beach City and possibly the Earth from that Red Eye. That time is now to use it." Azure said.

"Alright… I have an idea where it might be." Greg said.

Greg led the trio to his storage near the car wash.

"You must have placed the cannon inside the first storage. Question is, how much stuff do you have in there?" Azure asked.

Greg opened the storage door, only for the trio to see boxes obscuring any view of Rose's light cannon. Although slightly deterred, Steven was determined to find the cannon.

"If I plan on finding the cannon, I need to be equipped to handle this." Steven said, finding a flashlight.

He found a stray sock and tied it on his head, making it into a makeshift headlight. Greg also had a rope with him. He tied the rope on Steven, creating a guideline in case he got lost.

"I'm ready. Let me in." Steven said.

"Good luck, Steven." Greg said.

Steven journeyed inside the vast storage. He felt overwhelmed at first, seeing all the items Greg stored in of his youthful life.

"How are you holding up there, Steven?" Greg asked.

"I'm doing okay. A lot of stuff here… You used to play golf?" Steven asked, shoving a golf bag away.

"I used to as a kid. Those were the days." Greg said in reminiscence.

Steven continued going in the storage. By then, he stumbled upon a photograph of his parents, showing them with a content smile.

"Dad, I found a photograph of Mom and you." Steven said.

"Thanks, Steven. If every pork chop were perfect, we wouldn't have hotdogs." Greg said.

By then, Steven noticed a pink glow of light from his peripheral vision. He then noticed what appeared to be a large, sundown pink, cannon-type magical weapon made up of a crystalline material. It was bulky, hefty, and is implied to be considerably durable. The barrel, backside, and hinges of the cannon all follow a floral design, showing it belonged to Rose Quartz. It has an appearance similar to a developing rose bud.

"I found it!" Steven called out.

Steven quickly tied the rope around the cannon. Greg tied his end to the van.

"Everything ready?" Greg asked.

"Let's go!" Steven called out.

Greg hit the gas on the van dragging the cannon out. All of his stuff was dragged out from the storage.

"We have to get this cannon to the beach and fast. That eye is getting closer…" Azure said, noticing how big it was getting.

"That eye is starting to creep me out… But how will we get the cannon to the beach? My van doesn't have any space for it." Greg said.

Azure then lifted the cannon up with both of his arms. Greg and Steven were surprised of his strength.

"There's no time to explain… Let's hurry and get this to the beach before it is too late…" Azure grunted, about to sprint.

Azure didn't realize that he was holding on to the cannon with his superhuman strength while running like an automobile going at 60 mph. Steven and Greg decided to follow him while Lapis took off to the air to follow Azure.

Amethyst, Garnet, and Pearl's attempts to stop the Red Eye were proving fruitless. They were visibly exhausted, despite their efforts to stop it. The sky was being illuminated by an orange-red light.

"I'm getting headaches here, dude…" Amethyst said, dazed from the constant impacts.

"I'm running out of stamina… We don't stand much of a chance without Rose's light cannon… Plus, time's running out..." Garnet said.

"I hope Steven and the others found Rose's cannon…" Pearl said.

The Gems then noticed a smoke trail coming to them. They realized it was Azure, holding Rose's cannon on his arms.

"Azure, you guys found Rose's cannon!" Pearl said.

"Steven was the one who found it. I had to bring it here in time before that eye crashes here." Azure said.

Lapis, Steven and Greg arrived a few seconds later. The ground began to shake before something began to occur. Matter was being dragged to the Red Eye. This made the Crystal Gems more determined to destroy the Red Eye.

"It's sucking up the ground…! We have to destroy it before its too late!" Garnet said.

"How do you activate the cannon?" Azure asked to the Crystal Gems.

None gave an answer, making them look sheepish.

"Don't tell me you don't know how to activate the cannon…" Azure dreaded.

"Rose never gave us any instructions on how to operate it… She never told us a lot of what she does." Pearl said in excuse.

"Let's try to find a way to activate it and fast… We only have minutes…!" Lapis said.

By them, Steven recalled what his father said prior to finding the cannon.

" _If every pork chop were perfect, we wouldn't have hotdogs."_

'That's it… What Dad said may have caused the cannon to wake up.' Steven thought.

"If every pork chop were perfect, we wouldn't have hotdogs." Steven said to the cannon.

The cannon suddenly became active as though Steven's sentence gave it life. It began to make a loud whirring sound, glowing bright pink in color. The muzzle of the cannon appeared to bloom like a fully developed rose.

"It's working! Steven, how did you do it?" Pearl asked.

"It was something my dad told me from my mother." Steven answered.

The cannon suddenly lost its balance and the barrel tilted on the ground. Everyone held the barrel at the Red Eye, waiting for the cannon to fire.

"Brace yourselves, everyone!" Garnet said.

The cannon fired a bright pink laser to the Red Eye. It briefly morphed to the shape of a rose before the visage of Rose Quartz was shown. It pierced the Red Eye in a spectacular display. Everyone near the Gem Temple watched with awe as the beam caused the spherical comet to destabilize. Cracks began to appear before it exploded.

"Rose… You were always with us…" Greg said with tears upon seeing her visage.

However, the fragments of the Red Eye began to rain on Beach City. Seeing the imminent threat, Azure quickly flew up to the sky and pushed his photokinesis to the limit. He created a giant wall of light to block off the fragments, forcing them in the ocean. He was straining himself to the point some parts of his skin began to bleed from overexertion.

'Just hold on a little longer…' Azure thought.

The fragments continued to rain at the wall. Azure kept his hold, despite losing a great deal of strength. Lapis noticed Azure pushing himself and was shocked to see him in his bloody state.

"Azure!" She screamed, flying to him.

The rest of the fragments were all diverted into the ocean thanks to Azure's part. Nothing in Beach City was damaged. Azure held on to what's left of his power. Pain was surging all over his body due to the overexertion of his power. Before he could descend safely, he plunged into the sea, having lost his ability to use his light powers. Everyone was shocked to see what happened.

"AZURE!" Everyone said.

Azure was sinking in the water, recalling his times with the Crystal Gems. More importantly, he was remembering his times with Lapis, whom he started developing feelings for. He made a somber smile, thinking that he would die in a watery grave.

'Mom… I know you were watching us protect Beach City… I still…want to continue moving forward and protect this place… It has so many memories that I like. I don't want to leave this town.' Azure thought, thinking of Rose Quartz.

Just before his visage turned black, he saw a blurred vision of Lapis diving in the water. All he saw was a tear drenched expression on her face before he blacked out.

'Lapis... I had to protect Beach City because it had so many memories of us being together. It's...our home.' Azure thought.

"Hang on Azure! You're going to be okay! Don't give up!" Lapis said frantically.

At the shore of the Gem Temple, Greg was able to move his van away from a tidal wave that resulted from the Red Eye fragments hitting the water. Steven and the Crystal Gems were worried for Azure, seeing that he didn't surface yet.

"I hope he's okay…" Steven said, clearly concerned for Azure.

"Lapis went into the sea to save him… I can't believe he pushed himself this far to protect us." Pearl said with worry.

"He'll make it. I know he would." Amethyst said.

Although Amethyst tried to make everyone feel reassured, she too was frantic in her mind. By then, Lapis came out of the water, holding Azure.

"There they are!" Garnet said.

Lapis brought Azure to them. Everyone was shocked to see that he was bloodied.

"He pushed himself beyond his limit to protect Beach City… He cared for the town so much, he was willing to give his life." Garnet said somberly.

Lapis saw the state of Azue's appearance and was shedding tears. Her gemstone began to glow in a bright blue color. The same time, Azure's gemstone began to shine brightly with a blue gray color in response. Steven, Greg, and the Crystal Gems were surprised to see the gemstones glowing brightly.

"What's happening?" Amethyst asked.

"I don't know…" Garnet said.

Lapis then held Azure's right hand before a powerful flash of light occurred. Everyone was blinded till a figure was shown in view. The figure was female in appearance, but she had Azure's long hair style mixed with Lapis's pixie style. The hair was a dark blue color. Her skin was deep blue, almost appearing sapphire-like. A blue, heart shaped gemstone was shown on the chest. There was a tear dropped shaped gem on the back. Overall, the figure mostly looked human, with no extra limbs or anything anatomically different from a human. However, she was 10 feet in height. The figure's eyes were closed, till they opened, revealing lapis lazuli eyes. The clothing she had was a blue gray t-shirt with bright blue jeans and matching shoes. Everyone watching was shocked to see what happened.

"Wha…? A giant woman…!?" Steven exclaimed in shock.

The Crystal Gems were equally shocked. None more so than Garnet, who was watching the being up front.

"Who am I?" The figure said.

"Azure, are you okay!?" The figure asked to herself.

"I'm alright, but what happened to us… It feels like I'm stronger but at the same time, I feel as though I'm a part of you." The figure said.

Amethyst then walked up to the figure, who then noticed her.

"Amethyst? I don't recall seeing you this small…" The figure said.

"Uh dude… You're a fusion…" Amethyst said in disbelief.

By then, the female figure suddenly looked at herself via reflection from the water. She internally panicked before looking at her reflection.

"WHAT HAPPENED TO US!?" She bellowed in shock.

Garnet was able to snap back before she giggled. She walked up to the confused figure.

"Azure, Lapis. You two have become something incredible. You became a fusion now." Garnet said with a smile.

"A fusion? Wait, which would mean that Lapis and I fused our bodies to form this one?" The figure said.

"Yes. Plus, this one is a stable fusion. Your feelings for each other manifested this new form. It's called, Benitoite." Garnet said.

"Benitoite…? That's what I'm called when I'm like this with Lapis?" The now named Benitoite said.

"Yes, and I believe that fusion is something you two hold special of. You're not one body nor two separate minds. It's an experience." Garnet said, smiling happily.

Benitoite blushed in response, due to Azure reacting to what Garnet said. This made her giggle in response, seeing the fusion acting shy.

"Don't worry you two. Fusion is considered a great gift for us Crystal Gems." Garnet commented.

Benitoite then thought of manipulating light, but what she didn't expect was the light to combine with water. It caused the water to shine in a rainbow. Everyone felt a serene sensation, seeing the rainbow colored water.

"The water… It feels so relaxing…" Greg said.

Surprised of the new power, Benitoite began to destabilized. She then disappeared in a poof, leaving Lapis and Azure on the ground.

"I'm me now. Azure, talk to me. Are you okay?" Lapis asked.

Azure grunted and stood up, albeit with a lack of balance. He was dizzy due to his earlier blood loss, but he shook his head gently to stop the vertigo.

"I'm fine… I thought I was heavily injured, but now I feel fine. A bit tired though…" Azure said in surprise.

Lapis leaped to Azure, holding him close. Both were laughing together as they rolled on the sand, now realizing their feelings got stronger. They then blushed in response, seeing their faces up close.

"Those two have gotten really close to each other." Greg commented with a smile.

"Hey, if every pork chop were perfect, we wouldn't be having hot dogs." Steven said, making everyone laugh.

That's all from here. Sorry for the short chapter. More to come soon.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 8: Discussions of fusion. Bubble trouble with a worm.

I do not own anything from any media.

Two weeks have passed since the incident with the Red Eye. Life in Beach City was normal for the most part. The warm spring air was starting to waft through the area. Azure was seen relaxing at the boardwalk. Near him, Lapis was leaning on his left side contently.

"Beach City is starting to act normally now. Even though the citizens don't know much about us or the Gems for that matter, we intend to protect them. They're not ready to understand about how we protect them from any threats." Azure explained.

"I know, Azure. However, I'm also happy that I fused with you. It's as though I felt your feelings for me." Lapis said with a gentle blush.

"I'm still surprised though. Not only we felt each other's feelings, we also got stronger. I felt our strength suddenly increased, but more importantly, I was with you." Azure said with a soft smile.

Lapis's blush suddenly increased from the confession. She leaned closer to Azure, which made him blush. The couple remained held close to each other for some time.

######

Near the couple, Steven and Pearl were seen looking at them.

"What are they doing?" Steven questioned.

"It looks like they're holding each other closely. Azure and Lapis both have a calm expression on their faces." Pearl explained.

Steven tilted his head as he watched Azure and Lapis holding each other close. The couple's gemstones gave faint glows but were visible.

"Oh my... We should leave them aside for now Steven. They might fuse again." Pearl said with a mild blush.

Steven kept his head tilted in response.

######

The couple kept their hold to each other, not wanting to let go. By then, a flash of light occurred. Azure and Lapis suddenly fused into Benitoite.

"Azure, we fused again." Benitoite said with Lapis's voice.

"I know. Let's head back to the temple anyway. It was a fun time for us to spend out here. The others will be waiting for us to arrive so let's head back." Benitoite said with Azure's voice.

A funny thing about Benitoite's voice when Azure speaks is due to the sudden change in its tone. Whenever he spoke, it made Benitoite sound more like a tomboy. For Lapis's voice, it was calm as water, flowing with grace and calmness.

"Should we stay fused like this though?" Benitoite questioned from Azure's part.

"It's okay. The fusion will hold for us." Lapis's voice said.

The fusion summoned rainbow wings of water mixed with light before flying off. As they flew, droplets of rainbow water were seen on the sky, forming a double rainbow.

######

Benitoite arrived at the Crystal Gems Temple. Garnet and Amethyst were in the house. Garnet was cooking a meal for Steven while Amethyst was lounging about, feeling bored. The two Gems noticed the fusion arriving from the sky.

"Benitoite, good to see you guys." Amethyst said with joy from her boredom.

Garnet had a content expression seeing Benitoite up close again. The fusion made a content smile before shining brightly. Azure and Lapis defused in a stable manner without knocking each other back. Garnet noted they were holding hands as they defused.

"You two are becoming more open with your feelings with each other. Treat this experience as a positive influence. It's something no words can describe." Garnet said.

The couple smiled in response. Azure then had a question to ask.

"Say Garnet..." Azure paused.

"What is it, Azure?" Garnet asked.

"I've been meaning to ask since you have the most experience. Is it possible for any fusion to act with their unique personality or with the two distinct personalities?" Azure questioned.

Garnet was surprised on what Azure said. She made a soft smile, understanding his confusion.

"It's okay to feel a bit anxious or confused about fusion, Azure. In regards about your question, there are cases in which the fusion has a distinct personality, some of which you will meet in the near future. Others have separate personalities of the two beings intact. Your case is one with two personalities. Since that was the first time you fused, it should balance out for both you and Lapis when the fusion's personality begins to form. Otherwise, you can keep it the way you prefer." Garnet explained.

"Even though we fused, it felt like everything in me was a part of Azure. It was though we were enveloped in our space." Lapis said, adding her part of the experience.

"That is the bond you two feel from each other. Because of this, you two share something that Rose had with Greg, love." Garnet said with a motherly tone.

Lapis and Azure both blushed, but they then looked at each other with a side glance. Garnet smiled in response, seeing the interaction between them.

"You two should test the power of your bond soon. Since we had a brief demonstration on what you can use, we may need to understand more of your new abilities." Garnet suggested.

"It sounds for you dudes to know what you can do. I want to see what you can do, Benitoite." Amethyst said.

Azure scratched his head in response. He looked meek for a few seconds till he decided to show Amethyst. Lapis smiled, knowing she will fuse with him again.

"Let's head to the sky arena. Steven should come and see this." Garnet said.

Everyone nodded in response. With decent timing, Steven came along with Pearl.

"Hey guys. What are you doing?" Steven asked.

"We were planning to know more about our new fusion." Amethyst bluntly answered.

"Oh? We didn't have much to know about Benitoite. This is perfect for us to know more about a new member." Pearl said.

"Please lead us to the sky arena, Pearl." Azure said.

Pearl looked at Azure, feeling slightly jealous of his interaction with Lapis. Regardless, she led them both to the sky arena.

######

All of the gems, including Steven and Azure were present in the arena. Lapis was with Azure, holding his right hand.

"I'm ready when you two are. Let's begin." Pearl said.

Azure and Lapis nodded before focusing their feelings together. They fused to Benitoite in a few seconds.

"They're becoming proficient with their fusion. Let's see how their powers intermingle." Garnet said.

Benitoite began focusing on using light and water together. Much to the surprise of everyone, the water formed into a katana. The sword was glowing with a rainbow color.

"So, your sword has become a spectrum due to light being refracted from water. I must say though, it does have a calm essence in appearance." Pearl said.

Pearl summoned her spear, ready to fight the fusion. Benitoite assumed kendo stance, ready to fight.

"Let's do this." Azure's voice said through Benitoite's voice.

Both Gems dashed before holding their weapons in a brief stalemate. Benitoite was able to push Pearl back with brute strength.

"You're strong... I can see that you two are a force to be reckon with, even if you two were not fused." Pearl said.

Benitoite smirked, moving the katana up quickly. This knocked Pearl off balance due to inertia. Before she could move, the katana was placed near her neck. Pearl realized she was defeated.

"You have improved greatly under my tutelage. Just remember who taught you these techniques." Pearl said.

Benitoite gave a gentle smirk. The fusion noticed a small graze on Pearl's leg. This made Benitoite channel rainbow water to the wound. Much to Pearl's amazement, the injury was healing. It felt calming to her.

"Healing water... Not only I have incredible strength, I can also heal others." Benitoite said.

Garnet smiled in response, seeing the brief sparring. She can see that Azure came a long way. As a fusion with Lapis, they were near unstoppable.

"You two are full of surprises. I can see that you have a new ability when fused." Garnet explained.

"I know. I can heal people with rainbow water now." Lapis's voice rang out from Benitoite.

"Plus, combined with Azure's skills with the sword, you two are amazing warriors. I wish to have a spar with you two." Garnet said, equipping her gauntlets.

"I don't mind. We have to test our limits so we'll know how far our strength is." Benitoite said through Azure's voice.

Garnet nodded as she charged forward. Benitoite dispelled the katana in response before thinking what Garnet did. The fusion focused on the rainbow water. It began surrounding the arms, creating makeshift gauntlets. The water then solidify into ice, while appearing rainbow.

"My, my... Using part of Lapis's powers to make a weapon of my choice..." Garnet complemented.

Benitoite smiled as both the fusion and Garnet began fighting through martial arts. Both of their gauntlets clashed in a powerful explosion of air. A shockwave was generated in response.

"Whoa... They're at equal strength." Steven commented.

"This is getting excited dude." Amethyst followed, munching on popcorn.

"Garnet was known to be strong and wise, but I never seen anyone clash her punches with equal strength." Pearl aghast.

Benitoite kept canceling punch after punch from Garnet. Their attacks keep creating shockwaves as each punch was thrown. Garnet knew they were at a stalemate but she smirked in response.

"I'm seeing how fun this spar is becoming. Let's continue." Garnet said.

Benitoite smirked as the fusion kept punching and kicking with martial arts. Garnet jumped from a swipe kick to avoid getting tripped. She then followed with a hammer punch, prompting Benitoite to dodge.

"That's some punch..." Benitoite said with Azure's voice.

"That's not even half of my strength." Garnet said.

She then made the gauntlets bigger, surprising Benitoite. Much to the fusion's shock, Garnet didn't seem affected by the weight of the gauntlets.

'Azure, Garnet's gauntlets don't appear to affect her yet. She's balancing her power and speed.' Lapis thought to Azure.

'I noticed. This is a spar though so we can practice as hard as possible.' Azure thought back.

Benitoite remained still for a few seconds as Azure and Lapis were using their telepathy to talk with each other. Garnet noticed their sudden lack of motion before the fusion looked up.

"Let's continue our sparring, Garnet." Benitoite said.

Garnet didn't say anything and charge at the fusion. When they clashed with their fists, Benitoite's gauntlets began to crack noticeably.

"Seems like I can't enhance my makeshift weapons. No matter, I can still recreate them." Benitoite said through Azure's voice.

Eventually, Benitoite managed to catch Garnet and hurled her up in the air. The fusion followed by forming a water sphere that captured Garnet. Benitoite then created a wall of light that collided with the sphere of water, causing it to blast Garnet out.

"Ugh... You're one versatile warrior. I'd say that if we continue, I would lose in terms of strategy." Garnet conceded.

Benitoite gave a gentle smile before applying rainbow water to Garnet, healing her. The fusion separated with Lapis and Azure holding hands.

"Though we would like a decent spar, we don't want our friends to carry the injuries. Sure it's a warrior's pride, but it's best to keep ourselves ready. Benitoite's rainbow water has the power to heal damage, but there are other things we need to know later on." Azure explained.

Garnet giggled in response before placing a gentle palm on Azure's head. She did the same with Lapis. Both blushed lightly, but they had smiles on their faces.

######

Several days have past. Steven was in his home at the temple. He felt bored for the moment. To help ease his boredom, he decided to talk with Pearl.

"Hey Pearl. When you and the other bubble up the corrupted gems or gem shards, where do they go?" He asked.

"Oh, they go to a secret room within the temple. Only we can enter the place, but you have yet to fully control your gem powers, Steven. Azure is capable of entering the room, but he never went in. Nor did Lapis." Pearl explained.

"Could there be a time I would see that room? I feel curious after what you told me." Steven asked.

Pearl nervously chuckled in response. Steven didn't suspect anything as he remained aloof.

"There will be a time for you one day, Steven. Just work hard to become a true Crystal Gem." Pearl lectured.

Steven sulked in response, feeling his boredom increase. Reluctant, he conceded from Pearl's instructions.

'I'm already curious enough to find out what that secret room is... Maybe I can take a look tonight... Nah, I'd rather listen to Pearl.' Steven thought.

######

The next day, Steven was outside his home, running across the shoreline. He felt energetic, wanting to explore the area around him.

'It's boring staying home all day. Plus, it's a nice day out.' Steven thought.

While he was lost in thought, a sudden tremor occurred. The shaking nearly caused Steven to lose his footing, falling on to the sand.

"What was that? An earthquake?" He asked himself.

Pondering of the sudden shaking, he kept moving. While Steven continued walking, he noticed a girl reading a book. This made the young boy curious of the girl. He decided to talk with her.

"Hi there." Steven said nervously.

The girl briefly glanced at Steven before another tremor struck. Steven noticed a cliff side was about to crumble at the girl. He quickly dashed at her.

"Watch out!" He yelled.

The girl had no time to react. Steven quickly leaped at her to protect the girl. Instinctively, a magical aura in the shape of a rose suddenly appeared, creating a sphere that was wide enough for him and the girl. The parts of the cliff that collapsed hit the sphere but the rocks shattered instead of the sphere.

"Um...hi. My name is Steven." Steven introduced.

"Oh, pleased to meet you, Steven. I'm Connie." The girl known as Connie said.

Connie looked at the sphere around her, marveled at how it saved her.

"Did you make this?" She asked.

"Yes, but I didn't know how. This was from my mother who had magical abilities like this." Steven admitted with a shy look.

Azure arrived and noticed Steven in the sphere. He was surprised to see him and the girl inside it.

"Steven, are you okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, only I don't know how to turn it off." Steven admitted.

"Hang tight. I'll ask the others on how to help you in this case. Just stay here for a minute." Azure said before taking off.

Steven watched as Azure rushed his way back home. Connie was curious of the person who showed up.

"Who was that person, Steven?" Connie asked.

"That was Azure. He's my brother and helped me during my life with the Crystal Gems." Steven answered quickly.

"'Crystal Gems?' Who or what are the Crystal Gems?" Connie asked.

"It's a long story, but to make it short, we fight monsters and protect the earth." Steven shortly explained.

Soon after, Pearl and Garnet came by with Azure and Lapis. They were all shocked to see the sphere.

"Steven! How did you make this bubble!?" Pearl asked frantically.

"Calm down, Pearl. Steven must have created it by instinct in order to protect that girl from a small rockslide." Azure said, pointing to the nearby cliff that had evident signs of a landslide.

"In any case, Steven, try to concentrate on your gemstone to retract the bubble. Just make it disappear through your will." Garnet lectured.

Steven tried to use his gem powers but failed. The Crystal Gems began pounding on the bubble to release Steven and Connie, but all attempts failed to pop it. Not even Garnet's hammer strike on the bubble was able to pierce it. Azure tried to think of a way to help him.

"Steven, you created the bubble in order to protect the girl, but you didn't know how. Try to listen carefully in this. Your instinct to protect is the reason why you created the bubble. From what I can tell, it's very durable." Azure said.

"Are you saying that I wanted to protect Connie which made the bubble?" Steven asked.

"You're right, Steven. You may need some time to know, but that'll be take care of another time. For now, just think carefully on the same emotion you felt when protecting that girl." Azure said.

Steven did so, focusing the same feeling he had with the girl when the landslide occurred. The bubble opened up to a hemisphere, allowing the girl to jump out. It then disappeared in response.

"Awesome work, Steven. Now you're understanding your abilities." Azure applauded.

Steven scratched the back of his head with a smile. Connie looked at Azure, more specifically, his chest. She could see the gemstone from his shirt.

"Steven, I mean to ask, but why does he have a gemstone on his chest? You have one in your navel as well." Connie questioned.

Azure heard the question and decided to answer in Steven's stead.

"Forgive me for suddenly butting in, but I can provide the answers to that question. Steven was naturally born with that gemstone, which houses his magical abilities. He's half-human and half-Gem. My case was...different than Steven's. Let's just leave it at that for now." Azure explained.

Connie was surprised on what she heard. She had more questions to ask.

"So, what are Gems? They sound like the ones I think of." Connie asked.

"Gems, unlike the ones you know of, are magical beings. They are like humans, only stronger. Much about them remains a mystery, even to themselves." Azure explained.

"Oh... So they're like extraterrestrial people. Just like those three near you?" Connie pointed out.

"Ah yes. They're examples, but they're also my friends. That's Garnet and Pearl. Like any humans, they have unique personalities and feelings. The one close to me is Lapis Lazuli, whom I'm very close to." Azure explained.

"Pleasure to meet with new people that care for Steven." Pearl bowed respectfully.

"It's nice to see him with a friend, especially one whom he cares for." Garnet said with a smile.

"It's nice to meet you." Lapis said with a calm voice.

Steven blushed in response. Lapis held Azure close to her. The tender moment was suddenly interrupted when a sudden tremor occurred. This got everyone worried in response.

"These are no ordinary earthquakes... Something must be digging near the shore here." Azure deduced.

"How certain are you in regards of this, Azure?" Pearl asked.

"Beach City doesn't have any subduction zones or any fault lines which cause earthquakes. These earthquakes are artificial..." Azure replied.

"That means something is creating them... We have to find what the cause is." Lapis said.

"Steven, I think it would be a good idea for you to stay here at the shore. That bubble looks durable so it'll protect both you and Connie. Create one in case something comes out and looks dangerous." Azure ordered.

"I got it. Thanks for the advice, brother." Steven said.

Azure have a soft chuckle. Steven's positive emotions were contagious enough to make him smile. The older half gem didn't protest in mind.

"I can help in finding the cause through my powers." Lapis said.

"Of course... You're a genius, Lapis. If possible, try to part the sea so we can reach below the surface. I can create a small sphere of light, but that's the only thing that'll keep the water off of us." Azure said.

"I got this Azure." Lapis said.

She commanded the water to float off from the shore in a decent radius. Azure then created a sphere of light that surrounded both him and Lapis. They both descended the ocean to find the problem. Underneath, a strange, worm-like creature was seen drilling in the ocean floor. The body is colored light brown with scattered spots in different hues of purple and blue across it. The entire body is covered in a thick, shiny translucent light blue coating that includes three tentacles near the mouth. The mouth is circular with multiple rows of white teeth present, each tooth in a circular arrangement in each row. There was a red gem located inside the mouth that gives off a red glow that passes through the skin and coating, creating the illusion of eyes on the head.

"Ugh... That thing could literally compete with the largest lampreys. That's pretty creepy on my opinion..." Azure commented off handed.

Lapis and Azure noticed there was several glowing coral with different colors nearby. The monster was consuming red coral that give off a bright, phosphorescent glow. This gave Azure an idea to put into action.

"It seems that it can only see via red light... Those coral... We can use them to lure the monster out." Azure said.

"We can bring it out and trap it. Azure, can you reach them from here?" Lapis asked.

Azure managed to outstretch his hand to grab a handful of the phosphorescent red coral. The creature noticed them and gave chase to them.

"We got its attention! Let's head back to the surface!" Azure said.

Lapis quickly used her hydrokinesis and created a pulse of water that caused the sphere of light to be shot out of the ocean.

######

Steven and Connie were with Amethyst, Pearl, and Garnet. They were all waiting for Lapis and Azure to surface. Upon seeing them rise out in a sphere of light, Azure dispelled it.

"Get ready. It's about to come out of its hiding spot!" Azure warned.

All the Gems quickly equipped their respective weapons. Pearl was ready to fight, appearing determined to take the monster down.

"I'm ready. What did you find out about the enemy?" Pearl asked.

"It's a worm-like creature. The gem is located in the mouth. It's only weakness that it can only see anything with the color red. Think you can poof it, Pearl?" Azure asked.

"I'm ready for it." Pearl responded.

"How about you two?" Azure questioned to Garnet and Amethyst.

"We're ready, dude." Amethyst replied.

"Same here." Garnet replied.

Steven quickly created a bubble with Connie to protect themselves. Soon, the creature came out in the open. Pearl threw her spear at it, only to make it bounce off the body.

"What!? Its body is too soft for physical attacks!" Pearl said.

Garnet attempted to punch it, but her gauntlets simply bounced off. Brute force only made the creature look at Garnet, before taking its interest to the red glowing coral.

"Talk about rubber and slimy..." She said.

"Let's see if I can try." Amethyst said.

She suddenly created purple flames on the whip and dashed at the creature. Although the flames were working, it was a brief moment.

"There has to be a way to take this thing down for good. Our attacks are useless..." Pearl said.

"Let me help then." Azure said.

"So will I." Lapis responded.

The two Gems came to Pearl before channeling their powers to her. Pearl suddenly felt Azure's power flow within her. She summoned her spear, causing it glow brighter than usual. Lapis provided her power of water to the spear, causing to change in a rainbow. The spear head was notably sharper, giving it an elegant and deadly appearance.

"You can do it, Pearl. Strike with all your heart!" Azure said.

Pearl jumped high in the air and shouted with vigor as she pierced through the creature directly on the head. The head of the spear missed the gemstone, but the creature disappeared with a poof. Pearl created a white bubble to imprison the gemstone.

"This victory goes to you, Pearl. You were the one who dealt the finishing blow." Azure said with a smile.

Pearl felt amazed of the aura she felt from both Azure and Lapis. Her spear was still shining in a rainbow color.

"This is unlike the spear we can make from mixing both my and Lapis's powers. We enchanted your weapon to make it powerful." Azure explained.

"How were you able to provide your power to my spear?" Pearl asked, impressed.

"I made the light flow into your weapon, allowing it to be enchanted. The tip of your spear also changed since it also had attributes to light. Lapis followed along, adding water to it in order to finish the transformation. I remember doing this consciously when I fused with Lapis as Benitoite." Azure recalled.

"I see... That's a trick we could all use one day if things get dicey. I'm proud to see that our student has become a tactician." Pearl said.

Azure laughed with a shy tone. Lapis gave a soft giggle as she held his hand. Steven and Connie were still amazed of the battle that ended.

"That was so cool..." Connie said.

"I know right? Azure was always there when things get rough. I want to train myself to use my Gem powers one day." Steven said.

Connie gave a cute giggle to Steven, liking his positive emotions. Azure and Lapis noticed and gave a content smile.

'Yep... Steven's positive emotions are indeed contagious and not in a bad way.' They thought with a smile.

That's all from here.

Note: Now, Azure can perform enhancements to a Gem's weapon, giving it attributes. Think of it as an RPG element. Lapis could do the same with her water abilities.

The rainbow water is not just meant for healing. If given offensive capabilities, it can pierce through all but the sturdiest materials.

More to come.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Steven becomes serious. A puzzling test.

I do not own anything from any media.

Since the incident with the gem monster back at the beach, Steven has been demanding Azure to help train him to prepare for battle. Demanding was an overstatement, considering he was asking politely to become strong. Currently, they were watched by Lapis, whom giggled as Azure was training Steven to use his gem powers.

"Okay Steven. I need you to calm yourself. Let your thoughts go for a moment and relax. The key trick to understanding your gem powers is to keep your mind at peace." Azure lectured.

Steven took Azure's advice and made his body relax. Soon, he felt an odd, but welcoming sensation within him. The gemstone on his navel began to glow, forming a bubble-like shield.

"You managed to create a bubble shield for yourself. That alone is proof that you are able to understand your powers." Azure smiled.

Steven smiled in response. Soon, he requested to learn how to summon his weapon.

"Now that you got the grasp of creating your bubble, we'll use the same idea. Try to feel the same feeling to summon your weapon." Azure reminded.

Steven began focusing on his gemstone. Azure watched as his shield was formed, levitating in front of him. Soon, it began to shrink before being placed on his left arm.

"You've come this far to summon your weapon Steven. Now that you got the idea of it, it's time to ensure that it is kept equipped to the feeling is natural." Azure said.

"How will I know if it does feel natural?" Steven asked.

"Remember the shield and the sensation you felt to bring it out. The weapon itself represents the need to protect those you care for." Azure reminded.

Steven now realized on how he can control his gem powers, though he needed more practice. He began holding the shield and using it, albeit in a fledging way. Azure chuckled, going to his kindred brother.

"Don't rush yourself in learning how to fight with the shield. Instead, try to make it feel smooth. You're striking too quickly." Azure hinted.

Steven realized that he focused too much on speed. He began focusing with the wind. Soon, he swung his shield, noting there wasn't much resistance.

"I can swing the shield with no problem now!" Steven said with excitement.

Azure had a proud smile on his face. Lapis also joined in, hugging Steven close.

"Azure has taught you well, Steven. You're becoming a true Crystal Gem member." Lapis said with a smile.

The trio were proud of the new developments of their abilities and bonds. It was a relatively peaceful day.

Steven, Lapis and Azure were at an amusement park near the pier of Beach City. The young boy was excited to see the rides around him.

"Come on, you two. I want us to enjoy our time here." Steven said, pointing to a cup ride.

Azure and Lapis were somewhat reluctant. They were eventually convinced to ride. The cup ride was fun as Azure began spinning the cup seat, making himself dizzy. Lapis also felt dizzy and collapsed on his shoulder. They all had an enjoyable time on the ride.

Soon, the ride ended and everyone got off. Steven laughed as they had a goofy look from spinning so much. Azure was tumbling every now and then but prevented himself from falling. Lapis wasn't fortunate and kept falling. This caused him to catch her when she fell at times. Usually, this got her to blush for a moment till Azure held her close to let her feel the center of her balance.

"Wow, that was fun!" Steven said with excitement.

Azure laughed, seeing Steven's excitement. Lapis couldn't laugh due to her being dazed.

"We're never...going to spin too fast..." Lapis groaned.

"We don't need to if you don't like it." Azure reassured, gently rubbing Lapis's back to ease her dizziness.

Steven laughed from the fun he had. Before they could do anything, Garnet showed up.

"Steven, Azure, Lapis. We have a mission that will start in two weeks. We will have to explore a gem built structure." She informed.

"Thanks for the heads up, Garnet. We'll get ready for the mission." Azure said.

"Steven will come in this one. This'll be his first mission." Garnet added.

"Oooh... My first mission and it's a serious one." Steven said jovially.

The group chuckled from Steven's excitement.

Back at the Gem Temple, everyone was relaxing inside the house. Azure, on the other hand, was meditating outside. The silent ambience coupled with the sound of the waves hitting the shore provided a perfect setting for him to let his mind relax. His gemstone began to glow in a bright blue gray color.

"Azure, are you okay? We felt your gem glowing." Pearl said, coming to him.

"Oh, I was meditating outside. I guess some lingering thoughts of Rose came to me." Azure said, placing his left hand on his gemstone at his chest.

(Play Steven Universe OST - Reconciliation)

Pearl wrapped her arms behind him, knowing of his pain. His breathing was calm, but it was shown irl be haggard. Lapis came by, noticing their interaction. She too felt his pain through their connection.

"What are you doing, Pearl?" Lapis asked.

"I'm trying to help sort his thoughts. He was meditating earlier, but a sudden memory of...Rose came to him." Pearl reluctantly explained.

Lapis understood what Pearl was explaining. Soon, Azure had a brief breakdown. He stood up from his meditation, only to collapse at his knees. Tears were streaming from his eyes.

"I can never forget the kindness she showed. Rose was like a mother to us, caring for everyone she met. Her love created Steven and I'm willing to be at his side... I still feel lost after all these years..." Azure admitted.

Lapis felt his sadness, crying in response. Pearl couldn't explain it, but she also sympathized with him. It was proving difficult for both Gems to suppress their emotions. Soon, Azure's gem flashed, creating an image of Rose Quartz.

"You have the strength to protect my son, Azure. You and Pearl have the strength needed to protect him. I entrust all of the Crystal Gems to watch him till he's ready to be one." The image said.

Azure wiped his face and took a knee. His eyes were red from crying.

"That's what I promised, along with all of us here. We intend to keep that promise. It is what you wished for." Azure said.

The image gave a motherly smile before moving close to him. It gave Azure a kiss to his forehead before disappearing. Lapis and Pearl she's silent tears, seeing the interaction.

'No matter how much time has passed, Azure can't forgive himself for being unable to prevent her disappearance. I truly wished it was something preventable.' Pearl thought.

'Even if you matured as an adult, you still feel that Rose had a special bond to you when you were a kid. She may be your mother, but she was like one to me too. I can never imagine losing like that, Azure.' Lapis thought.

Garnet came outside, noticing the three gems showing some sadness. She could tell there was a breakdown happening.

"Are you three okay?" She asked with concern.

"We're okay... Azure had a breakdown, but he's feeling better now." Lapis said.

Garnet understood the situation, despite how brief it was. She then walked with the three Gems inside the house.

(Reconciliation OST ends here)

Back inside, the sun had finally set and it was night. Azure was at the beach shore, overlooking the night sky. Several shooting stars were seen flying across the sky.

'My future is linked with both Lapis and Steven. Lapis, mainly because she and I are bonded beyond spirit and blood. Steven, he's a fellow brother and someone whom I must watch as he matures. His destiny is much bigger than one might think.' Azure thought.

He gave a silent sigh before summoning his weapon. Azure began training himself, performing new attacks on using his weapon. He began hurling waves of light towards the beach, parting the waves in result.

'I'm almost there... These new techniques may go in conjunction with Lapis's water abilities.' Azure thought.

Azure then performed a flurry of attacks, akin to a blur. He then swiped his sword, seeing the slash marks in the air before they dispersed.

'I may need to train myself a little roughly to get a better grasp at my abilities. Since the mission will start in two weeks, I have plenty of time. However, I've exhausted myself today.' He thought.

Fatigued, he made his way to his bed and fell asleep. Lapis was nearby, asleep but felt his presence near her. She moved from her sleeping position and held him close.

Two weeks have past. Everyone within the Temple was awake and ready.

"Okay Steven. This is your first mission with us. For the past two weeks, we have been training you with your abilities. You should have a decent grasp on how you should use the basics." Azure said.

"I appreciate that you trained Steven, Azure. It'll help him become strong." Pearl said.

"I'll say. He's getting better." Amethyst admitted.

Garnet decided to cut the chatter and to get everyone focused.

"Okay everyone. We'll be using this warp pad to go to where the mission starts. The location is within an old battlefield. Our mission is to procure a gemstone located in a temple. This is where we will arrive in." Garnet said.

The warp pad looked crystalline in appearance. It was teal in color and resembled the top half of a brilliant cut diamond. It had a relatively small set of stairs.

Everyone stood on the warp pad before a large beam of bright light appeared. It began to engulf everyone. Soon, they began levitating within the beam before disappearing.

Within the beam, everyone was following where the beam was taking them.

"What is this place?" Azure asked.

"Oh, you never experienced this, Azure? This is called the warp stream. Just make sure to stay close. If you don't, you might get hurt upon exiting." Pearl warned.

Steven heard the conversation, choosing to stay close to everyone.

"So this is how you Gems teleport across the Earth?" Azure asked.

"Yes. We also used galaxy warps, but we destroyed them before Homeworld could invade here." Garnet answered.

"Looks like we'll be arriving soon." Azure said.

Everyone appeared from a different warp pad. Azure and Steven felt somewhat disoriented from the flashing light. They both fell from the pedestal and landed in a field of strawberries.

"Steven, Azure. Are you two okay?" Pearl asked.

"We're okay. Just a little dizzy from the warp pad." Steven said.

"In any case, where are we?" Azure asked.

Azure looked across the landscape. There were various weapons from swords to spears covered by thick strawberry shrubs. Butterflies were seen fluttering around the fields.

"Mmm. Strawberries." Azure said, licking the jam off is his right hand.

Soon, a flurry of butterflies came to on to him. They began drinking the jam off of his body before they left.

"That was funny." Lapis giggled.

Azure gave a poker face, which made everyone laugh.

"Seems like this whole place was a huge battleground... Who would've thought this place became an area where strawberries are grown?" Azure mused.

"I know right! It's amazing!" Steven exclaimed with excitement.

"Where are we exactly? If this is Earth, then..." Azure paused.

He took out his smartphone and used its GPS to track his current location. Much to his shock, he realized where everyone is.

"We're in Norway, near the Sverd i fjell... All the way in Northern Europe..." he said with shock.

"Wow... A new world to see!" Steven said.

The group began walking through the strawberry field, noting all the left over swords. They were rusting due to exposure of the elements.

"Hard to believe that this battleground is now being reclaimed with nature." Pearl admitted.

"That's one of the amazing wonders of nature from the Earth itself. Even in the most mundane conditions, nature has its way of showing its gift to visitors." Azure explained.

Soon, there was a strange upside down pyramid that was levitating a few inches above the ground. Everyone paused for a moment upon seeing it.

"An upside down pyramid... This must be where we need to go for the mission." Azure said.

"Yes. However, the entrance requires a keystone to open it. There should be one nearby." Garnet said.

Everyone looked at the indentation of the entrance before searching for the key. Soon, Lapis found the key. She inserted it into the door, causing it to open.

"Looks like we can head in..." Amethyst said.

Azure noticed several murals and carvings working the room. He felt uncomfortable upon noticing them.

"Careful guys... I'm getting a weird vibe from seeing these murals..." Azure warned.

Steven was excited upon entering the temple. He began to yell out.

"Steven's the best!" He shouted.

The pyramid echoed his voice throughout the chambers.

"Okay, everyone. Let's get this mission over with. This place is creeping me out..." Azure said.

"You look a little pale, Azure... Are you alright?" Lapis asked with concern.

"It's a bad time to mention this but I don't like closed spaces very well..." azure admitted with an embarrassed expression.

"Not to worry. We won't take long in here." Garnet spoke.

Everyone walked inside. The room was a dome shaped place with a large opening at the center. Azure and Steven noticed a pedestal with a miniature version of the pyramid floating above it with the top pointing down.

"Guys, what is this?" Steven asked.

"Don't touch anything in here, Steven... It could set a trap." Pearl warned.

Steven didn't listen and merely touched the pyramid. It flipped right side up.

"Steven, what did we told you about touching Gem magical items?" She scolded.

"We shouldn't because it could cause problems..." Steven meekly responded.

The pyramid temple began shaking. Soon, the gravity suddenly shifted. Everyone fell within the central hole of the ceiling. Azure and Lapis had their wings out and caught everyone before landing. They then heard a stone door closing above them.

"Well... Now we can't go back the way we came from..." Lapis said.

"Pretty much... What is this room?" Azure asked.

Soon, several torches began self-igniting. There were sixteen passages arranged in a circle.

"Looks like we'll have to split up." Pearl said.

We'll be able to cover more ground and know this place. I'll cover Steven. You guys go separately. We'll try to catch up if we can make it at the end." Azure said.

"Be safe, you two. I don't anything bad happening." Lapis said with concern.

"Thanks." Azure appreciated.

Everyone took their routes. Azure and Steven took the one at three o clock. Everyone took their routes from 1-5 respectively.

Through the room Steven and Azure chose, they were at a small hallway. They noticed several illuminated squares on the floor. Azure noticed the murals showing hidden details of the room. This one showed what appeared to be spikes from both the ceiling and floor.

"I got a bad feeling about this room, Steven..." Azure warned.

"These murals look like teeth or something sharp coming..." Steven said.

However, Steven accidentally stepped on a loose floor panel. This triggered a trap in the room. A section of the ceiling opened, revealing razor sharp spikes. Azure and Steven paled as they noticed the spikes.

"RUN!" Azure exclaimed.

He wasted no time and quickly picked Steven up, rushing through the room. Some floor sections opened and revealed spikes. They were zooming in like a compressor each time they're revealed.

"Almost there...!" Azure said.

The final spike trap opened from the ceiling and was descending rapidly. Azure had to roll like a ball, narrowly avoiding the spikes. Luckily, Steven was unharmed.

"Whew... Remind me not to suddenly walk out in a possible trap..." Azure exhaled, exhausted.

The next room they stumbled in was quite strange. It had strange glowing tiles shingling brightly. Looking at the murals, the boys realized what they need to do.

"We have to stay on the panels that are glowing..." Azure said.

"Came we fly across?" Steven suggested.

Azure tried to summon his wings, but they dissipated in the room.

"Not good... This room is disrupting my photokinesis. I can't summon my wings." Azure said.

"I guess we have to hop our way across then. Serious Steven, go!" Steven said.

'Did he just referred himself in the third person?' Azure thought.

Steven and Azure began hopping across the room, touching only the lit plates of the floor. Upon reaching the end, a sudden shaking was felt. Steven nearly fell on an unlit plate, but Azure caught him in the nick of time.

"That was too close for comfort..." Azure said.

They entered the next room, noting how wide it looked. There were active traps everywhere. The floor and walls were laced with spikes. Several floating platforms were spaced between each other. The gaps had a large hanging pendulum swing in at wide arcs. Some of the platforms had traps of their own, ranging from molten rock being poured on them to the ceiling crushing traps. Some even had fire traps.

"This might get ugly... Luckily, my Gem powers are working here." Azure said.

He called out his wings and began flying across the room. Steven had to ride on Azure's back, guiding him through the trap infested hallway. They screamed as they went through the room, reaching the end.

The next room was the same place they started at.

"Back where we started... This place is one complicated puzzle..." Azure commented.

The other regrouped back in the same area.

"There you guys are! This place has all these connections through these rooms. No matter where we go, there isn't any exit!" Pearl said.

"It feels like a death trap here dudes! I'm still trying to search a way out!" Amethyst said, entering a different passage.

Comically, she had a bear trap stuck on her head. She then went to another passage, only to slide back as a frozen cube of ice.

"Amethyst! Let me get you out!" Pearl said, cleaving through the ice with her spear.

"Wait a minute... All these passages lead directly here. The trick is to not go through them." Azure said.

"What are you getting at, Azure?" Pearl asked.

"This whole pyramid is like a maze and a spinning top at the same time. Even if we go through one passage, we'll just come back here." Lapis realized.

"The only way through..." Azure paused, surrounding his fists with light.

"...is down here!" Azure finished, slamming his fists on the floor like a hammer.

Loud cracks were heard through the room. The floor gave way under its weight and collapsed. Lapis and Azure summoned their wings and carried everyone in the air.

"This must be it..." Azure said.

Pearl oversaw the area, impressed of the architecture. It was an open space with many spinning platforms. Within the center, a pedestal was shown. It was levitating in the air.

"Incredible... All the rooms from above are moving to this gem-powered mechanism. How did you figure that out, Azure?" Pearl asked.

"Steven and I were on this amusement park ride that gave us this same feeling of being spun around. Nearly made me hurl though..." Azure commented.

Within the center, Azure noticed a gemstone embedded in the pedestal. It was a rhombus-shaped, white-gray Gem.

"Azure, let me reach for that gem. I can make it there." Steven said.

"Okay, brother. I trust you!" Azure said, throwing Steven to the pedestal.

Azure followed along with him, flying close. Steven landed on the pedestal, sliding down to reach the gem embedded. He began pulling till the pedestal moved its 'head'. The platforms began humming in light. They soon began disintegrating, coalescing to the gemstone Steven has. Soon, the humming got louder.

"Everyone, get to me quickly! This place is going to explode!" Azure warned.

Azure quickly summoned a sphere of light seconds before the temple was glowing brighter till it exploded. Everyone within the sphere was hurled from the explosion upon landing outside.

"Steven, Azure? Where you guys!?" Pearl asked.

"They're over here!" Amethyst called.

Lapis, Azure and Steven were seen in a large pool of strawberry jam.

"Strawberries... How I love these fruits..." Azure said comically.

Everyone laughed for a moment till Pearl saw the gemstone Steven was holding.

"You did a really good job, Steven. We're proud of you." Pearl said with a smile.

"I can agree. My little brother is getting stronger." Azure said.

Lapis have a gentle hug to Steven for his efforts. It was jovial time for the Crystal Gems. Soon, butterflies came in, attracted to the jam. They landed on Azure, even on his nose. He didn't mind their presence, feeling comfortable with them. They soon flew off.

That's all from here.

I'm trying to develop Steven's character as more battle ready than his usual personality from season 1. He still retains his innocence though.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: A mysterious Lion.

I do not own anything from any media.

Azure was with Steven and Lapis. He was talking with them, finding some way to spend some time on their own. There were no missions scheduled, allowing everyone to relax their minds.

"So, what are we planning to do?" Azure asked.

"I don't know... We haven't had any activity caused by gem-related incidents." Lapis said.

Soon, Garnet arrived. Amethyst and Pearl were nowhere seen.

"We have a mission to do. A corrupted Gem is located at a desert. The warp pad will take us there." Garnet announced.

"Oh. Where is Pearl and Amethyst?" Azure asked.

"They are waiting for us at the destination. Steven, you ready for another mission?" Garnet asked.

"I'm ready!" Steven said with excitement.

"Okay then. Let's go." Garnet said.

Everyone went to the Gem warp pad and disappeared in a flash.

(Play Steven Universe Attack the Light OST - The Desert)

Pearl and Amethyst were waiting for Garnet and the others to arrive. Upon seeing the flash of light from the warp pad, they were ready for the arrival.

"Where are we?" Steven asked.

"Looks like a desert, but it's not your typical desert." Azure surmised.

Lapis attempted to channel her powers through the atmosphere, only to find there's no moisture.

"The air... It's so hot and dry..." She remarked.

"I think I know where we are... No doubt this is the Sahara desert. How will we find the corrupted Gem in this desert? It's the largest one on the planet..." Azure remarked.

"We'll have to search for it... It may take a short time since I can sense the activity close by." Garnet said.

"Let's go then. I may be half-Gem, but my body's not able to handle the climate biologically for extended periods of time. I'm sure Steven is also suffering from the heat." Azure said.

Steven was dragging himself on the sand, trying to remain conscious. The heat was proving to be dangerous for him.

"We really should rethink of exploring this desert. Not even rainfall would hope to alleviate the heat." Lapis remarked in sympathy.

"It would be safer if you stand up, Steven." Pearl remarked.

"Hate to lecture you on humans, Pearl, but we're not as adept compared to the hardy creatures of the desert." Azure said, emphasizing Steven and himself.

Azure went to Steven and picked him up. Much to his chagrin, Steven was barely holding himself as he looked extremely fatigued.

"So... What's the report about this corrupted Gem?" Azure asked to Garnet.

"The Gem is being active for reasons unknown to us. From what I can understand, it made itself a temple composed of sand. We should be near its range to see." Garnet said.

Several pillars made of sand were shown. However, some couldn't kept themselves standing for long before collapsing. One of the pillars comically fell near them, showering the crew with sand and dust. There was a large sand pyramid far from where they were.

"Ugh... *cough cough*... Got sand in my mouth... This might cause a problem among the people here. We should hurry before a traveling merchant sees this." Azure said, cleaning his mouth.

"This is out of control. Stairs of sand kept appearing, leading nowhere. Now columns with no roof have been sprouting..." Pearl observed.

Amethyst soon leaped over Azure, rolling on a small sand hill, watching the sand pyramid from a distance.

"That might be the place, dudes. Let's get this over with." Amethyst said.

"Couldn't said it better myself." Azure agreed.

A loud growling noise echoed around the area. Steven woke up from the sound, shocked in response.

"What was that!?" He exclaimed.

"Let's go!" Amethyst said.

"It's best to stay here with Lapis and Azure, Steven. We'll handle this problem." Garnet said.

"Even so, there's something lurking here." Azure said.

"Can you sense it?" Garnet asked.

"It's not too far, but I can't determine what it is." Azure responded.

"Keep your powers ready. We don't want to lose our Angelite in this." Garnet remarked.

'Is it just me, or the Crystal Gems are starting to flatter around when I'm around?' Azure comically thought.

Azure, Lapis and Steven were resting near a sand column. They were underneath its shade to try and cool themselves off.

"Whew... This desert is terrible to live in. One could question how the Egyptians could hope to live in these conditions..." Azure remarked.

"Even I could ask the same thing." Lapis said, showing some fatigue.

"You suffer from the heat too, Lapis?" Azure asked.

"Yes. Because of my ability to manipulate water, it is difficult for me to stay here." Lapis said, sounding fatigued.

(The Desert OST ends here)

A roaring sound once again echoed near them. They were on alert, hearing the noise sounding closer.

"We're not alone..." Azure whispered.

Steven was whimpering, not liking the feeling he was sensing. He noticed a creature near a sand column. It suddenly locked eyes at him. Frightened from the glowing eyes, Steven quickly fled to the next sand column.

"Steven! Wait!" Azure called out.

Steven managed to hide behind the column, trying to catch his breath.

"Good thing this column is here..." He said.

The column suddenly collapsed. The shadowy creature revealed itself to be a lion. The creature was oddly pink in color, with the mane appearing a lighter shade of pink. Azure and Lapis got ready to protect Steven. They noticed the lion approaching him, but it suddenly yawned and fell asleep, much to everyone's surprise.

"The lion... It's...taking a nap?" Azure questioned.

Steven slowly approached the lion. Azure, wary of the lion, quickly went to Steven with Lapis following along.

"Careful Steven... Lions are dangerous if provoked." Azure said.

Soon, the Lion sat up and walked up to the trio. It didn't show any signs of being threatening. Rather, it gave a soft nudge like a house cat. This got everyone to lower their guard, seeing it didn't want to attack.

"How...strange. I never seen a lion act like this, nor a pink colored one. It's definitely not painted, that's for sure. Something about it feels familiar, but almost...magical?" Azure pondered.

Azure soon rubbed the lion's head, causing it to emit a purring sound.

"It's...friendly. The lion isn't hurting us." Azure said.

The pink lion nudged his head on Azure's hand, liking the rubbing. Steven soon followed, making the lion nudge its head on his hand.

"I think it's fair to say we might have a new friend, Steven." Azure said.

A sudden explosion suddenly got everyone's attention. A large blast of sand suddenly blanketed Steven, Azure, Lapis and the lion. They managed to pull themselves out of the sand to see Garnet, Pearl and Amethyst talking about something.

"Amethyst, bubble the gemstone up. It's the only way to stop it from using its powers." Pearl lectured.

"Alright, alright..." Amethyst moped.

Amethyst was holding a red pillow with a lime green gemstone. It looked as though it was trapped within the pillow.

'So that's the gem responsible for these strange formations.' Azure thought.

"You should still bubble it up, Amethyst." Pearl continued.

"Hey, my kill, my way of holding it. Are you jealous, Pearl?" Amethyst teased.

"Just don't drop it in the sand. Otherwise it'll make the same activity we saw earlier." Pearl warned.

Soon, the three Gems noticed the lion and equipped their respective weapons.

"Hold your weapons! This lion is no hostile." Azure said.

"How can we be sure you're right?" Pearl asked.

"It was with us the whole time. If it did attacked us, we would be having a hard time with it. However, it's friendly." Azure reassured.

"Aww, I love it." Amethyst said, liking the creature.

"In any case, the threat was dealt with?" Azure asked.

"Yes. We procured a Desert Glass Gem. Let's head back home." Garnet said.

Steven looked at the pink lion with a concerned expression.

"I'm sorry, Lion. We have to head back home. We did have a lot of fun together." Steven said.

The young boy kept his eyes closed, not wanting to see the lion after leaving. Azure and Lapis felt sorry for him in leaving the lion in the desert.

"Gotta feel bad for him... He really liked that lion and it liked us in return..." Azure remarked.

"I know... If it was a Gem, it would have followed us through the warp pad." Lapis sympathized.

With a heavy sigh, they used the warp pad to return home.

The next few hours, Steven was napping with Azure and Lapis. Amethyst joined in, wanting to sleep. A scratching sound got their attention.

"What was that?" Azure asked.

"Keep it down... I'm trying to sleep..." Amethyst said in her sleep.

'She's totally asleep...' Azure remarked mentally.

It also caused Steven and Lapis to wake up.

"I wonder who could it be." Steven said

Upon opening the door, the same pink lion from the desert was seen at the front door.

"Lion! You came all this way to see us!?" Steven said with excitement.

Azure and Lapis were shocked to see the same lion made its way to Beach City.

'The Sahara is at Africa so it's impossible for a regular creature to migrate through continents, especially over the Atlantic and Pacific.' Azure thought.

"The lion is indeed magical... I can feel it's energy signature." Lapis said, holding the lion up close.

The lion didn't show any signs of rebelling. It stood there, calmly looking at Steven and Azure. It made a soft purring noise.

"Shouldn't we let the others know?" Lapis questioned.

"They went into their own rooms so I don't know how to contact them." Azure said.

Soon, Azure's and Steven's stomachs began growling. They both had an embarrassed blush on their faces.

"We'll think about that later... Might as well get some lunch so we can focus a little easier." Azure said.

"Okay. I would like to get some pizza." Steven said.

"My thoughts exactly. Let's head out to the pizza place." Azure said.

Steven agreed as Lapis followed. However, she took notice of the lion whom was staring at the Desert Glass Gem.

"I have a bad feeling about that Gem..." She said.

The trio arrived at a place named Fish Stew Pizza. There were several customers, including Ronaldo.

"Two to go please." Steven said.

"Same for me." Azure requested.

The boys bought their pizza and ate leisurely. Lapis was curious of the food, noting it looked foreign, despite seeing different kinds.

"Oh, you're curious of the food here on Earth? I know Gems don't have a biological system, but for humans, they do. All living things from Earth need the nutrition to survive." Azure said.

"I understand that, since you often eat meals with Steven. Maybe I can shape shift an organ system in me so I can feel the same thing." Lapis said.

"Careful, Lapis. Last time Amethyst did, she had a powerful surge of hunger. To us, it's as though we're starved. Amethyst can point that out." Azure warned.

Lapis, deciding against questioning, shapeshifted an organ system in her body. Much to her surprise, she felt the organs working. It also made her hungry in result.

"You can have my slice, Lapis. I'll go get another two for both of us." Azure reassured.

Lapis ate the pizza slice in a slow manner, careful not to causing a mess. Azure came back with two freshly made slices, only to see Lapis with a content smile.

"You liked the flavor, I see. There are the last two slices before we head back." Azure said.

Both Azure and Lapis ate calmly. Steven noticed an evident blush in their faces. He smiled seeing they were showing feelings with each other.

The trio made their way back home. Upon reaching the door, they noticed the pink lion's eyes emitting an otherworldly white glow. It got its attention to the trio before facing the door.

"Lion? Are you okay?" Steven asked.

The lion nudged its head on the door in a quick manner, almost as though it was warning them. Realizing that Amethyst forgot to bubble the Desert Glass Gem, whom was sleeping, they rushed inside, only to notice the same gem developing a small column of sand. The lion responded by attempting to pounce the gem. It quickly sent itself outside to the beach, landing on the sand.

"Oh no..." Azure gasped.

Garnet and Pearl arrived and noticed a large sandstorm appearing at the shore. Amethyst woke up from the commotion, noting Pearl was crossed for her aloofness.

"This is why I told you to bubble it, Amethyst! Now the Desert Glass is going to make the formations it did back in the desert!" Pearl said.

"Sand is fine grain, Pearl... If we can use water, it should make the sand too heavy for the Desert Glass to use." Azure suggested.

"Leave that to me." Lapis said, commanding a large wall of water.

The sand converged to form a large pillar. Due to the sand being manipulated from the dusty storm, it was difficult to get close.

"We can't pierce through the sandstorm... At this rate, the Desert Glass will keep making those structures!" Pearl said.

"There has to be a way..." Garnet said.

"Only one way we could counter it... Lapis, we could use the power." Azure said.

Lapis nodded and held Azure close, causing them to fuse. Benitoite was back in its full glory.

"I'm back." Benitoite said.

The fusion created a massive wall of water, easily dwarfing the sandstorm caused by the Desert Glass. The wall collapsed on the storm, making the sand too heavy to be lifted.

"That takes care of the storm... Someone get the Desert Glass!" Benitoite said.

Some of the dry sand was forming into a fist. The pink lion responded by making a loud roar. The sound was so powerful, it caused the hand of sand to dissipate. Steven was on the lion, ready to help.

"Nice. A sonic roar. That could help in the future." Benitoite pointed out.

Soon, Steven leaped forwards and captured the Desert Glass.

"I got it!" Steven said.

Benitoite smirked as Steven was riding on the lion, whom was throwing sonic roars to the collapsing sand structure. It landed near Pearl, allowing the young half Gem to give the Desert Glass to her. An ivory bubble formed, trapping it.

"This is why I warned you about this one, Amethyst." Pearl said with a stern tone.

"I'm pretty sure she got it by now, Pearl... Let's not add salt to the wound any more." Azure said.

"Mission accomplished." Garnet said.

"I agree." Lapis said.

"Let's have a nice break after the threat we contained." Garnet suggested.

"Sure, but what about the lion?" Pearl questioned.

"It's a worthy ally for us. Without its help, we wouldn't capture the Desert Glass." Azure said.

Steven was overjoyed, hugging the lion and scratching its mane, making it purr.

"Is it okay if we can keep it?" Pearl asked.

"Is it better to keep Amethyst?" Garnet countered.

That's all from here.

Note: I was honestly surprised to hear about the revelation about Pink Diamond. However, this won't change the story. It'll still follow its canonical route.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 11: Fusion of trust.

Garnet was with the others, about to relay a mission.

"Alright everyone. I had a vision of two corrupted Gems wandering in two different places. They're called the Earth Beetle and the Heaven Beetle." Garnet said.

"So, it seems we'll have to split if we hope to find them." Azure deduced.

"Exactly. I'll go find the Earth Beetle. You guys go find the Heaven Beetle in the Sky Spire. It's pretty dangerous there." Garnet warned.

"Let me help! I wanna go on this mission." Steven said.

"This mission is dangerous, Steven. You shouldn't come with us." Pearl said.

Steven refused to be left behind. He held his ground with a pout, not wanting to leave them.

"Alright, alright. He can come with us. Steven, if you end up getting attacked, create a bubble to shield yourself. You already know how to since you have been doing so." Azure relented, showing a pouting expression.

Steven jumped with joy, hugging his brother in response. Lapis giggled, seeing how the brothers kept close to each other.

"I love it when you two care for one another." She said.

Azure blushed in response. His expression softened, ruffling Steven's head.

"I trust you, Steven. Make sure you help us if we need you." Azure said.

Stepping on the warp pad, they disappeared to a different region of the Earth.

######

The Sky Spire was a large, island-like landmass floating within the clouds. Several islands were floating, creating a makeshift bridge between them. Some islands were larger while others were smaller. The ambient air was quite cool, despite it being near summer.

"Wow... We must be high up in the sky." Steven remarked.

"It's pretty chilly out here. Since we're floating with the clouds, I'd say it must be as cool as reaching halfway to Mount Everest." Azure remarked.

"I can't use water, but I can use ice here." Lapis said.

"That might help. If you can control the molecules of water, you might be able to shape them with the clouds." Azure pointed out.

"Nice thinking on your part, Azure." Pearl noted.

"I'm just observant." Azure responded, scratching his head bashfully.

Lapis noted his shy tone from Pearl's compliment. She pouted before moving close to him, causing the half-Gem to physically feel Lapis's presence. This elicited a deep red blush from him.

"Aren't we modest?" Lapis commented.

Azure couldn't speak as he was blushing red like a tomato. Steven chuckled, liking how his elder brother figure was showing his sensitive side.

"Aside from the teasing, we should focus on finding the Heaven Beetle." Pearl reminded.

"Good recall, Pearl. We should focus on finding it. Let's watch our step though. It's a long way down." Azure said.

"No kidding. We're sky high." Amethyst joked.

This made Azure snicker in response. While making their way through the landscape, Azure created platforms of light.

"Nice one, Azure. Making platforms of light will help cross to the islands. Some of them look pretty large to explore. If we're finding this beetle, we have to search every floating island." Azure said.

"Can you make more clones of yourself?" Amethyst asked.

"Easier said than done... I used gem shards to make replicas of myself. Even then, it'll tire me out for a few days so it's not worth the risk." Azure said.

"He's right, Amethyst. Azure was nearly in a coma for doing that reckless maneuver. I know he wanted to help deal with the Frybo issue, but it wasn't a good idea." Pearl reminded.

"I know, but it was a necessary action to stop the rampaging gem shard." Azure apologized.

"Nonsense. You were able to control them with your abilities. Though it was sudden, you were able to do so." Pearl said.

"Might as well search for it through the old fashioned the way... Everyone, search the islands carefully. Mark them with something so we know they've been looked thoroughly." Azure commanded.

"How will we mark them?" Amethyst asked.

Steven pulled out his cheeseburger backpack that held several markers in dark colors.

"Nice one, Steven. With these markers, we can tell one another that the islands looked into were searched. Since it's still daylight, the dark colors will help." Azure congratulated.

######

The group searched through each island, whether large or small. They all searched for about an hour, but it was a fruitless endeavor.

"Looks like the Heaven Beetle is not found among these small islands. That leaves the largest one... The spire island." Azure said, looking at the large island.

Everyone knew they had to cross the floating island bridge. They all began hopping across as Azure's energy got drained from creating paths of light.

At the top of the island, there was a small, geodesic hut. Near it, an isthmus stretched to a small peninsula. There was a tiny house built. The top of the spire was surrounded by a thin lake of water.

"Kind of odd for a house that tiny to be built here. Probably the Heaven Beetle's home." Pearl said.

"I'll say. Even my shapeshifting won't help since it is too small." Amethyst said.

"So there are limits to shapeshifting... Anyway, I think I can sense it somewhere through its aura... I recognize any corrupted gem's aura to sense them." Azure suggested.

He closed his eyes and focused his light powers throughout his surroundings. Soon, he managed to sense the corrupted aura, though he was confused of the sheer amount.

"This is strange... I'm sensing multiple corrupted gems, and they're approaching us, fast!" Azure said.

Everyone was expecting what was coming to them. Soon, a giant bird-like creature appeared. It had large, broad wings, thin, stick-like legs, and a comparatively small tail. The creature had brown feathers covering almost all of her body with purple plumage on the chest and belly. There was a huge jagged beak that extends to the forehead and is able to hold a large number of objects and has no visible eyes.

"What the heck is that!?" Azure asked.

"A corrupted gem! This one seems rather dangerous than the previous ones we faced." Pearl said.

The corrupted gem in question made an ear-piercing screech, ready to attack the group. It began flying at fast speeds. Azure leaped out of the way before it could hit him.

"Looks like Big Bird here wants to fight... Steven, stay in that hut. This could get messy." Azure said.

Azure summoned his sword and leaped into the air to attack the corrupted gem. He clashed with the corrupted gem's beak with a resounding echo. The stalemate proved to be an encumbrance as Azure was still recovering. The beast soon waved its beak, knocking Azure down to the ground.

"Ugh... That is one tough eagle." Azure said.

Lapis went to him to check for injuries. He only had a minor scratch, but he was fine. Pearl decided to act forward and threw her spear to the bird. Much to her surprise, the corrupted gem ate her weapon.

"That thing just ate my spear!" She exclaimed.

"Everyone, in the hut! Quickly!" Azure said.

######

The group fled into the hut. All were contemplating any methods to fight off the Big Bird.

"Is there any way we can fight this corrupted gem?" Amethyst asked.

"We can call for the giant woman that you two have been talking about." Steven suggested.

"You men, Opal?" Pearl asked in surprise.

"Opal? Isn't that one of the fusions you guys have been in the past?" Azure asked in surprise.

Lapis was also curious and she leaned close to Azure to listen.

"Yes, she was one of the fusions we can do. Only Amethyst and I can form her." Pearl confirmed.

"Wow... Sounds like it'll be an honor to see her." Azure said.

"The problem is, we don't know if we'll be able to form the fusion... Due to lack of years, it'll be hard to form her." Pearl said.

"Like it or not, we'll need her help. I don't want either Steven or I to get eaten by the beast..." Azure said.

"You said that bird had multiple auras before it came here, right? Does that mean it has a unique ability?" Steven questioned.

"Only one way to find out... Wait, I can sense a different corrupted aura in that thing..." Azure said.

"Azure, wait. Don't do it...!" Pearl objected.

"Lapis, trust me on this... Pearl, Amethyst. Watch Steven for me." Azure said.

Lapis held on to Azure as he leaped into the bird's body, much to the shock of the remaining members.

"Azure!" They screamed.

######

Inside the corrupted gem, Azure felt disgusted landing in a puddle of bodily water.

"Ugh... I know gems don't have a physical body, but this is nasty..." Azure commented.

Lapis had to agree. Their current predicament looked disgusting to be in. The duo were now forced to explore inside the beast's body.

"There are several shards bubbled within the creature's body. It seems these shards are acting like a conduit in keeping its large form." Azure said.

Lapis soon noticed a strangely colored creature. It looked like a beetle but it was yellow in color.

"Azure, look." She said.

Immediately, he sprung into action and got the tiny creature.

"This is...the Heaven Beetle..." He said.

"Well, we found the beetle, but how do we get out of here?" Lapis asked.

"I think there might be a way out of this creature." Azure said.

######

Amethyst and Pearl realized that fighting the corrupted flying gem alone will be useless. They had no choice but to form their fusion.

"You two have to form Opal in order to save Azure and Lapis. They were eaten by that bird." Steven encouraged.

(Play Steven Universe OST - Amalgam)

Both gems knew this was the only way. Setting their opinions aside, both had their gemstones glowing. Pearl began to dance in a ballerina fashion, while Amethyst was rather suggestive, moving in a beatbox fashion.

'This is going to be so cool...' Steven thought, having stars marked in his eyes.

Midway of their fusion dance, Amethyst managed to hold Pearl carefully, but was slapped by accident. This made them disrupt their focus, which caused their fusion to fail.

"Dang it, Pearl. Watch your arms when doing the dance." Amethyst complained.

"How rude... Your dancing was just awful in my opinion." Pearl said.

"Guys, we got two of our friends in the Big Bird. This is not the time to argue." Steven said.

Both gems knew they had no choice but to agree. They attempted the dance and were successful. Steven watched as a new form took shape within the light.

(Amalgam OST ends here)

######

Azure and Lapis were attempting to fuse when they suddenly felt a new presence outside the Big Bird.

"Lapis, do you feel that?" Azure asked.

"I do. It feels like Amethyst and Pearl have combined..." Lapis said.

"Then let's join them in the fight." Azure said.

Holding their hands together, Benitoite formed immediately. The sheer mass of Benitoite caused the creature to essentially pop like a balloon.

######

The Bug Bird suddenly created an explosion, resulting in seeing Benitoite escape from the corrupted gem.

"Not the most elegant way of escaping, but it worked..." Benitoite commented with Azure's voice.

"Guys, you're okay!" Steven said.

"We also found this inside." Benitoite said with Lapis's voice.

The fusion presented Steven the Heaven Beetle. He placed it in his pocket to ensure he kept it safe. However, the corrupted gem soon had a trick up its sleeve.

"What the!?" Benitoite said in shock.

The fragments that made the Big Bird were now forming smaller bodies. They all look like miniature copies of the corrupted gem.

"That's the corrupted gem's true form. It was comprised of multiple shards working together!" Benitoite realized.

(Play Steven Universe OST - Opal)

Soon, the new figure Steven witnessed came into view. It was female in appearance. She had periwinkle skin, and thick, wavy, off-white hair. The fusion's eyes were a soft blue color. Her hair extended slightly past her calves, tied back into a rowdy ponytail by a pale salmon band. Extending from off the sides of the ponytail are two small pigtails in the front tied by pale yellow ties and chin-length bangs, which resemble Pearl's. The figure had a lean, toned body with two pairs of slender arms. Her face is thin and rounded, inheriting Pearl's pointed nose and Amethyst's plump lips. Her outfit consists of fuchsia, knee-length leggings with pale-violet cuffs rolled up, and yellow flat boots. She was taller than Garnet. Her gemstones of Pearl and Amethyst were shown on the exact areas where they were.

"Is that...?" Benitoite asked in surprise.

"It's Opal." Steven confirmed in excitement.

"We need to move." Opal said.

She grabbed Steven as Benitoite flew up to the air to catch up to them. The pieces of the Big Bird were giving chase through the Sky Spire. Opal began moving across the lake's surface, elegantly dodging the attacks and sliding down the spire before landing at a nearby precipice.

"Opal, we need to deal with those fragments fast." Benitoite said.

"Leave this to me." Opal said.

Benitoite saw Opal take Amethyst's whip and Pearl's spear to form a new weapon. It was a bow, resembling a Mongol bow, complete with its shape similar to a composite bow. She took aim, creating an arrow of light energy.

"Let us help." Benitoite said, providing rainbow water to the bow.

Steven watched in fascination of the next actions to take place. The arrow on Opal's bow began glowing in a rainbow of colors. Opal shot the arrow forward. It soon splintered into multiple shots of rainbow arrows. All the corrupted shards were soon encased in bubbles. They all disappeared, teleported back to the Hem Temple.

"Amazing... She poofed and bubbled them with one shot." Benitoite said in amazement with Lapis's voice.

"Thank you, Benitoite. You managed to provide enough strength to help encase them in a strong bubble." Opal said.

Benitoite had a purple blush on the fusion's cheeks. Much to Azure's dismay, he realized the cause.

"We had to help in some way." Benitoite responded through Azure's voice.

Steven looked at the two fusions, speechless of the occurrence. Soon, Opal came to him, which made Steven nervous.

"Do...you know who I am?" He asked.

Opal giggles in response before singing.

"All you wanna do is see me turn into..." She paused.

"A giant woman." Steven finished.

Benitoite giggled as well. Seeing Opal's playful nature was a soothing experience to see. It also showed how peaceful she was. It was a complete anti thesis of Pearl's and Amethyst quarreling.

#######

Back in Steven's house, Opal, Steven And Benitoite arrived. Garnet was holding a cage that held the a beetle appearing slightly brown.

"Welcome back everyone. I've secured the Earth Beetle. I see that Amethyst and Pearl have fused to form Opal once more." Garnet said with a smile.

"They had an inspiring person to help form Opal." Benitoite commented.

"Have you guys managed to find the Heaven Beetle?" Garnet asked.

Opal gasped, realizing the mission.

"I don't have it." She said.

She soon unfused abruptly, causing Amethyst and Pearl to be blown from the force.

"Seems like Opal, despite being calm, can be forgetful. Not to worry you two. Steven has the Heaven Beetle in his pocket." Benitoite reassured.

Steven presented the beetle to Garnet. She soon placed it with the Earth Beetle, where they both recognized each other due to their excitement.

"Excellent work, Steven." Garnet congratulates.

"Well, Benitoite found it first, but she entrusted me to hold it safely." Steven said.

Garnet smiled, realizing that Steven was proving to be a reliable person. Pearl and Amethyst smiled as well, thanking Benitoite for her wisdom. She soon flashed in bright light before unfusing in a stable manner. Lapis and Azure were holding hands as they separated.

"You two will be able to fuse with us one day. That includes you Steven." Garnet said.

"Wait, I can do that?" Steven asked in surprise.

"Maybe in time we will see." Azure said.

"Also, thanks for being Pearl's and Amethyst's moral support." Garnet said.

Everyone had a calm day to relax from the mission. Azure and Lapis remained close as both held each other with their arms intertwined on their bodies.

"The Earth is beautiful from where we were." Lapis said.

"Yeah. It was a beautiful place back at the Sky Spire. We might find more places to explore." Azure said.

Lapis giggles as she leaned her head on Azure's shoulder. He held her close in a loving hug.


End file.
